Cali Knight
by ran0neechan
Summary: A girl living in Wisconsin starts her community service for a certain cheese head. However, after a lab accident, and a trip to the Ghost Zone, her life is used by one to seek power. Now, she must find a way to prevent her own death before the time runs out. OCxDanny
1. The Trouble We Get Into

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Danny Phantom, just the character's I created.

This is my first story on Danny Phantom. Enjoy!

* * *

"Mr. Master's?" My call echoed down the halls of this enormous mansion. I cautiously walked further and found football decorations along with tacky cheese ornament's.

*The guy's obviously not married* I thought, glancing at the décor.

My name is Camillia Nought, by order of the local officials I was sent to do community service for an old man who needed help cleaning his home, doing chores, yadda yadda..

"Ouch! Ugh! This retched-!" I heard from an odd opening in a wall in the library. What followed was inaudible grunts and curses. I walked into the passage and down a few steps.

"Ello!" I greeted as I entered what seemed to be a lab. An old man, dressed professionally in black, stood in disbelief by a hole in the wall. "Are you going somewhere with this, gramps?" I walked around inside a tunnel-like hole in the wall, and discovered it was all metal inside. Then an interesting green goop on the floor caught my eye. "Cool" I squeezed some in my hand, felt like putty.

"Do NOT call me 'gramps' girl" The man stood and regained his composure.

"Don't call me girl.. It's Cali, I'm here for the community service" I relaxed and tucked my hands in my pockets.

"Ah, Cali.. Though they said you were tame, I heard you started a food fight. . In you're social studies class. . Four day's in a row" his eye's narrowed and I shyly grinned.

"International food day, all week, starting with Australia, Asia, Europe-"

"And the worst was South America.. Tell me child.. Is this why they banned you from eating in my home?"

I grinned and nodded, remembering that whole food fiasco was based on a dare.

"But, you seem harmless enough.. Very well. My name, as you should already know, is Vlad Masters. And as you can see I am a scientist. Don't touch anything down here" He sternly stated as I squished the putty substance.

"Put that down!" Vlad slapped it out of my hand and looked pained as he wiped away the goop that got on his hand. "That's from a broken beaker you twit!" He pointed at the scattered glass pieces.

"Right" I grabbed a dust pan and broom, and threw away the mess.

"Uh.. Good job" He said surprised that I cleaned that up.

"What next, Vladdio?"

"Could you grab that beaker?" He spoke in a way that reminded me of a kindergarten teacher.

I got the beaker, and realized it was a not broken version of the one I just threw away. He had me lock it in a slot on the tunnel machine. After that things were simpler then my imagination lead me to believe. All the old man did was make me work on the tunnel as he sat, directing orders, and drank smoothies. At six my alarm watch sounded for me to go home.

"See ya tomorrow, Professor Vlad" I joked casually saluting him.

"Oh, I do look forward to it!" He happily struck a girly pose causing my face to look at him funny before I got out the door.

I got home before dinner and decided to sketch what I remembered of the old man in my sketchbook. Then I drew his lab, and any interesting things I happened to remember from school. Ever since I was a small person, I loved to draw, but my mom didn't like my creativity going on the wall in crayon. So she introduced me to my first sketchbook. And over the years, I've filled up sketchbook after sketchbook of my memories.

"So, how was your punishment?" Mom sighed at the dinner table.

"Fascinating" I blurted as I picked at the fruit bowl.

"Really?" Dad seemed suspicious.

"He's a scientist. He has me helping with one of his experiments" I explained.

"Is it dangerous?" Mom questioned.

"No, but he couldn't be weirder. He needs to find a dating site or something, old age is hitting him hard" I babbled through chews.

"Don't talk with your mouth full.." Mom tapped my plate.

The next few days went by normally. School, service, then home. Old man Vlad's even praised me for being his 'ideal daughter.' I think it's because I'm so helpful, but that's just my job, he couldn't actually handle being my parent.

"You're early" Vlad greeted me at the door on the last day of my community service.

"Hello, tall, dark, and single. I saw a cat wandering around outside, your's?" I cleverly remarked.

"You remind me fondly of my niece.. Come, thing's must be done by today" Vlad ordered as I followed him to the lab.

"You have relatives?"

"What makes you question that?"

"Nothing.." I drifted away. "Oh, I'm early cause all my friends were busy with some new video game" I hopped up beside him. He merely looked down with a "hmm."

We entered the lab and got straight to work, today we were going to test the tunnel for whatever it's suppose to do. As he finished the wiring I got into a custom suit Vlad made for me. It has a capital C glued on the chest area so I could tell it was mine. I have to wear it due to some health violation, and something about chemical hazards. When I finished I went through a pile of papers on his desk that were held down by a granite rock. The paper I picked up was titled **Ghost Thesis **it read: _Having the portal in it's experimental stage is the key to these powers coming to life. The ghost particles flow freely in this stage, and with that they can surge through the body to merge the DNA with-. _Vlad pulled the papers away.

"It's ready" He gave a narrow eyed smile.

"Super!" I jumped up.

"I need you to flip some switches inside while I make adjustments to the controls" He instructed. I ran inside as he worked on the circuit boards.

A sound came from the tunnel that reminded me of a car engine staring up.

"Is it working yet?" I asked feeling the need to walk out.

"Yes" He said.

An explosion of light engulfed me as the granite in my hand shook and crumbled. I could feel burning hot pulsations from where the rock was, but it was nothing compared to the shock going through my nerves.

"STOP!" I screamed in pain. The machine kept roaring until the circuits overloaded and the machine exploded. Not having to fight the pain anymore, my knees gave in and my hands limply fell to my side. My senses were shot, but in a few seconds my hearing came back and I could hear Vlad calling my name. Then my thoughts, the first thing I wondered was, what happened? After replaying it in my head, my vision went from blurry to clear, and I checked my hands. The granite vanished, and so did my hands! I gasped and took a quick look back and forth, I was surrounded by smoke.

As I panicked, a flash of light seemed to scan over my body, and everything went back to normal. I attempted to get up in my anxiety, but my head couldn't take it, then all went black. When I woke I heard an indistinct fight outside the room I was in.

"Cali?" I jolted a bit, noticing the lady next to me. She looked like a doctor, but the room looked like Vlad's house.

"Yeah" I answered in a hoarse voice. I gripped my throat and attempted to clear it.

"I heard you got caught in a lab accident" she said as she went through some papers.

"Yes. . ." I gave her a suspicious look as I tried to recall what happened.

"I came here as the only doctor that does house calls. Now, I need to do a little test. Could you sit up straight?" The doctor asked as she pulled out a stethoscope. She pulled my shirt up and stuck the cold metal against my back. Then she checked my spine, and put pressure on my stomach. When she was done, I was surprisingly okay.

We walked out and I found my parents biting Vlad's head off. The doctor said some words then left.

"Honey!" Mom embraced me.

"See, Cali is fine, no need for any lawsuits" Vlad nervously clapped his hands together.

"She could have been killed!" Dad stomped forward, and Vlad pulled back, like a rabbit meeting a fox.

"Whoa!" I slid between them. "Dad, Mom. I'm okay, it was a harmless experiment, see." I twirled around to show I was unscathed. "Besides, I'm done with my community service, let's not make this anymore complicated.. Please.." I never used the word 'please' seriously. My parents understood and we left without another word.

Though we were neighbors, our houses were far apart. Vlad owned a large amount of land that was about a mile from our house. As we walked home, I trailed behind trying to put my thoughts together on what exactly just took place. I was quickly pulled out of focus when I lost my footing and hit the ground.

"What the-" I looked back at what got me and it was my own two feet, slowly creeping into the ground. Mom and Dad walked back to help me up.

"Cali, are you feeling okay?" Mom asked.

"Fine.. F-fine.." I checked, my feet were normal again.

When I was through with dinner, I did my chores. I got around to washing the dishes, and by then my mind was lost. I recapped the day, and what went wrong, but so many thing's didn't make since. I had a tight grip on a plate as I put it away, deep in thought. However, I clicked back to reality when the plate suddenly left my sense of touch, and hit my head.

"Ow" I quickly responded before the plate shattered onto the floor.

"Cali Nought!" Mom ran in and asserted herself. I rolled my eyes as she gasped and made a big deal about her 'fine china.'

"I am so sick of you constantly making a big deal out of everything! Mom, it's a plate. There's a thousand more being made at a factory in china!"

"And how many more of you are there!" She screamed through sobs. I pulled back realizing what her increase in emotions was all about.

"Mom-" I started to say in a calmer voice.

"That man could have seriously harmed you" she interrupted me. "If only you weren't such an unruly child. You're in this mess because of those people you call your friends"

"Mom!" I was getting irritated.

"Two month's into high school and they're already influencing you to make bad choices! Honey, you have to see through that, make new friends. Better friends-"

"MOM!" I shouted. "Stop! I choose who I want to hang out with, not you! I'm the one who got in trouble, that choice was all mine" I opened the outside door and began to leave. "Maybe you shouldn't blame my friends, maybe it's your fault for raising me wrong"

"Cali!" Dad came in, just in time to comfort Mom, as I ran out.


	2. Consequences

"Vlad?" I walked to the lab noticing the mansion was eerie at night.

Normally I would go to a friends house, but since Mom and Dad aren't happy with Vlad, they wouldn't predict that I would come here. Also I wanted to know what went wrong. Why did the machine go off like that? I found the library and flipped the secret switch opening the wall that lead down to the lab. As I turned the corner a beaker flew by and shattered into the wall. I retreated behind the corner as I saw Vlad throwing a tantrum.

"I can't believe it! I simply can't believe it!" Vlad flung another breakable object across the room. "The perfect guinea pig fell straight into my lap, and the plan fails!" He leans over his desk in desperation as he searches over his papers. "My research, I must have miscalculated somewhere.. But it's too late now.. She could have been the replacement for Daniel, in the sense that I can manipulate her better" He sighed getting up.

"No use fretting… the portal is working again, and now, my original plan falls into action" Vlad made adjustments to the fried machine and started to tamper with the circuit boards again.

"It works.." I gave a defeated smile and revealed myself as the machine came on with a green glow.

"Cali" Vlad stood up straight.

"What did you mean by that?"

"By what?" He seemed a bit nervous.

"By everything you just said?" My voice began to rise in anger.

"Success" He gasped.

"What?" I asked confused. I followed his stare to my arm. It was gone, but as soon as I calmed my anger my arm came back.

"It worked! My Thesis, my plan, everything!" He grinned in a way that sent chills down my spine.

"It worked? You mean these weird happenings are your fault!" I rolled my fingers into a fist feeling frightened.

"Calm you emotions, my little tot" He cooed as if he was talking to someone half my age. Then he pointed at my body that was slowly disappearing. I reluctantly took a calming breath as he grabbed papers from his desk.

"Years of research has lead me to a conclusion, that if a human were exposed to the free moving particles composed together in a ghost portal, the DNA would fuse with them creating-" He transformed into a floating, blue faced, pointy-headed, red-eyed, being.

"A vampire!" I exclaimed.

"A ghost" he corrected.

"Ghost portal?" I continually questioned, Vlad pointed to the glowing tunnel. Then he flew over and I plopped onto the ground feeling afraid.

"Scared? I just need to show you" He pulled me by the arm, off the ground, and from his grip I could feel a power. He created rings that engulfed my body and changed my look. "It's nothing to fear. It's power, Cali. And with it, I can show you a new world, a better world, that we can rule together" As Vlad gave his speech I dove to the ground and ran over to a mirror. My hair looked like an old lady's, silver. I was dressed in a jumpsuit that was an opposite color to my custom made one from Vlad, black and grayish. And my eyes were a haunting glow of green.

"Awesome.." I admired my new look enthusiastically from all angles. Until Gravity got a hold on my head, flipping me upside down in midair, and sending me towards the ceiling. "N-never mind! Fix me! Change me back!" I shouted growing more and more terrified.

"Focus. For control, there must be peace." Vlad calmly instructed. I closed my eyes, calmed down, and thought hard about being human again. The Transformation rings reappeared surrounding my body and changing me into my old self.

"aaAHH" I screamed plummeting to the ground, at the last second Vlad caught me by the foot.

"In due time you'll appreciate this as a gift"

"A gift, you say?" I asked as I hit the ground, face first, after my foot phased through his grip.

"There's no way to get rid of these powers. But I can help you control them, and I can show you techniques beyond your years" As he spoke he fired a beam of light, put up a shield, cloned himself, phased through me, and went invisible. "In return, you must do what I say, without question." He gave an icy smile with a lust for power burning in his eyes.

"So, I have to trust you.. You took advantage of me, without my knowing! You changed my whole way of life! This entire problem was created by you, for you! You sent me in that portal, knowing what would happen, now I'm suppose to be 'a guinea pig you can manipulate'?" I chocked, realizing how catastrophic the situation actually was. I left it at that and began to walk out, home was better then here.

"Who else can you turn to?" his voice stopped me in my tracks.

"I.. have friends, and family" It was a cliché answer, but I saw it as the most appropriate one.

"From what I can tell, your family won't accept you as a ghost. You've even told me yourself, You never really connected with them, and you practically fight every week. What if they send you away? What if they can't take it?" He was menacing, but painfully truthful. "As for your friends, I doubt they even care about you. They abandoned you for a video game. Your only their friend for minor entertainment" He mockingly laughed.

My voice was lost. I simply ran out, it wasn't true. Of course my family would accept me, and I know my friends would help me through this.

I got home to find Mom and Dad watching TV.

"I'm home.." I cracked a weak smile. They didn't even acknowledge me. I made a mental note to stop running away every time we fought.

"Mom.. Dad.. I gotta talk to you"

"Cali, go to bed. You have school tomorrow" Dad stated.

"But-" I started as Dad gave me a look that said 'don't make this any worse'

I went to my room and searched for my sketchbook. Drawing was a way I released my emotions.

*Why weren't they hearing the need for help in my voice?* I thought as I drew my picture as a ghost sloppily through the tears. I flipped the page and wiped the tears away to draw Vlad as a ghost. The pencil phased through my hand and I began to sink into the floor. I pulled myself up, feeling more frightened then ever, and I sprawled out on my carpet.

*Did I finally lose their trust..?* I thought as I crawled into bed.

The next morning was painfully normal. Mom acted like nothing happened as she dropped me off at school, and headed for work. As I walked through the front doors I found all five of my friends by the snack machines.

"You guys!" I called, but I had to say it a few times to get their attention.

"Sup?" Megan greeted.

"So, anyway-" Julian began to change the subject.

"Wait, you guys, I need help"

"What's wrong?" Natalie asked, she loves drama.

"Look" I put my arm in the middle of our group circle and made it disappear.

"Whoa!" They breathed in excitement.

"You took up magic!" Jo shouted.

"No- " I started.

"Aw, I've always wanted to be a magician" Sadie complained.

"No, I can't control- it's not.." I tried to speak but, they went on and continued their own conversation, like always. "Bye" no one replied. I walked to class realizing how much Vlad was right. Sure he started this ghost problem. But if it wasn't for that, I never would have looked over the years and discovered how much my friends, weren't my friends. They've ignored me and purposely got me into trouble over the years, I can't believe I thought that was fun. Also I realized how wrongly I was treating my family.

At school I fell through the second floor three times, and went invisible five times, thankfully I wasn't caught. After school I got home, worn out, and miserable. I looked around, Mom and Dad were still at work. I grabbed a few snacks and moped around. Then I gave up and went to Vlad's after leaving a note on the counter.

I entered the lab to a shocking sight. Vlad stood there in his ghostly form talking to another ghostly form. A puff of smoke covered my face and I waved it away. Vlad had informed me about this, he calls this smoke from my mouth, a ghost sense. I think it sends the wrong message, escaping from my mouth, like I'm a smoker.

"Ah, Cali. I knew you would came back to Daddy" he approached me and rested his hands on my shoulders. I smacked him away and backed off from the other person.

"I came for you to help me.." I admitted as I slipped into my ghostly mode.

"Who is this?" The other guy approached me thrilled at how I looked. I tried to run, but it was difficult with a ghostly tail.

"Ah, ah, ah" Vlad shook his finger back and forth. "She, is off limits"

"Hm.. I'll be on my way" the ghostly man looked let down and disappeared into the ghost portal.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"That was a ghost" He leaned in for a scary effect. I leaned against the wall after so casually meeting someone I thought was unreal for most of my life.

"His name is Skulker, a ghost hunter. Funny, I free him from a low class ghost prison, and he's unquestionably indebted to me"

"He hunts ghosts, but wasn't he a ghost?"

"Yes, and yes. He's an interesting fellow. And quite useful. . . But I digress, seeing that you have returned proves me correct" He said with an annoyingly happy voice. I looked away feeling scorned by all sides.

"Let's begin" Vlad smiled after noticing the look on my face.

I know it wasn't in my head, Vlad was rushing me. First I had to transform five times fast. Then I had to go in and out of being invisible. By the time we got to going intangible, I was on the brink of collapsing. My clothes were soaked in sweat, and I never knew my arms could feel so heavy.

"Get up, get up! We haven't even finished the basics" Vlad was practically chewing me out for not being a pro at this.

"You know, they need people like you in military camps" I fell to the ground, dizzying out from exhaustion. Vlad picked me up making a face at how disgustingly sweaty I was. He took me upstairs and threw me in a bath tub full of cold water. I watched as he tossed in several soaps along with a scented car freshener.

"Hurry up and meet me back at the lab"

It took me a few seconds to get it.

*Was he telling me to take a bath? He threw me in here fully clothed* I thought.

I swam around for a bit still in my ghost form. Mom would kill me if I told her I was in an old man's bathtub. So I scrubbed myself, suit and all. The bath took my last ounce of energy and I reverted to my human half in the midst of scrubbing. Then I got out and forced my body intangible to get dry. I reentered the lab and found Vlad tinkering with the portal.

"A little womanly advise, never tell a girl she smells bad" I told him. He took in my scent and smiled.

"I do love that new car smell"

I scoffed and sat at his desk. I still felt worn down, my knees shook and my arms felt heavy.

"Now, come on" Vlad ordered and he stepped in the portal.

"Whoa, no. I'm going home before my parents get in an even worse mood" I stomped away.

"That wasn't part of the deal" He grabbed my arm and we flew into the ghost portal.

"You expect me to obey!" I pulled away, and unexpectedly, fell. I realized too late that I was in a new world. I couldn't change and Vlad had to save me. I managed to transform as he set me down on a floating rock. I looked around and saw floating islands, along with thousands of floating doors, all randomly going around. Then I noticed the place where we came into this strange world, and made a break for it.

"Now, you really didn't expect that to work, did you?" Vlad chuckled as I couldn't even lift myself off the ground properly.

"Old man, you purposely didn't go over flying" I snapped.

"Did I? I must be forgetting things in my old age" He smirked.

As he flew off, I grabbed at his cape, so he could drag me around.

"This way, Plasmius" Skulker came out of nowhere and lead us down a narrow passageway. "Your name's Plasmius now?" I asked.

"While I'm a ghost, yes" He answered.

"An alias" I said as I thought on my own alternative name.

The passage ended at a large mansion that floated in a dark cave. Spears, swords, knives, and other types of weapons stuck out all over the home, as if there had been a war. We stepped on the porch and Vlad turned human, so I did the same. Skulker stopped at the passage and watched as we went on.

"What is this?" I asked as we entered.

"Centuries ago, a ghost from an ancient French army brought his family here and made a home to live at peace from the war that was going on at the time. If he was caught, he would be arrested, and his family killed. So, he invented the first anti-ghost device. Called The Seed Of Ectocide, it's said to be like a bomb. As soon as it attaches to a ghost it spreads out roots, engulfing and absorbing a ghosts energy."

"Will it kill?" I felt apprehensive, being half ghost.

"As long as we're human we should be fine" When he said that a spear shot and sliced straight through us. I screamed and hopped on the nearest table.

"Bobbie traps.." Vlad spoke to himself. "Relax, in this world, humans are ghosts" Vlad called out as he walked diligently away.

"Uh-huh" I was annoyed he said that **after **I fell through the table.

We approached the top of this abnormal house and came across a room full of blank paintings covering it's walls. Then bluntly in the open was a leathery bag, placed on a pedestal.

"Go on, grab it" Vlad shoved me. One step forward and a fleet of traps flew at me from all directions. Thankfully, I phased through them. Except, I felt nervous as I breathed my ghost sense.

"A human being? Attempting to steal from the dead?" A large hand clasped over mine as I reached for the bag. I froze as a ghost inched out of the dark. "Your name?" His breath smelled rancid, and his face looked as if it would fall apart.

"Alicia" I sounded more confident then I was, giving a fake name.

"You bluff" He breathed as his eyes gleamed red. "Camillia Nought" he seemed intrigued.

I pulled back and ran behind Vlad. The mans eyes continued to glow as he gazed onto Vlad.

"And Vlad Masters. Here to take my weapon, for your own personal gain" He coughed, sounding as if he had a dry throat.

"And It's a pleasure to meet you-" Vlad began.

"Filou" His jaws locked into a smile.

"Filou.." Vlad pondered the name. "I heard you died years ago. And yet, here you are. Looking better then ever" Vlad nonchalantly moved closer to Filou.

*Then he must be the ghost who invented those seeds* I thought.

"Yes, am I not looking _fantastique_" Filou altered into a young looking man, resembling the joker from a deck of cards.

"Master of the Mind's Illusion" Vlad grinned.

"You know me well" He laughed, and turned to me. "I can read your memories, and form any appearance you've ever seen" He changed into a boy from my school I have a crush on. "Someone you love" Filou taunted.

"Maddie.." Vlad said under his breathe, he seemed to be seeing Filou's transformation differently.

"Someone you fear" Filou transformed to Mom, wearing a painfully disappointed look. Vlad failed to react this time.

"And someone who causes pain in your heart" He transformed into my deceased grandfather, wearing a kind, and caring smile. Again Vlad stood strong, with slight agitation, while my heart was crying out for help.

"If it's not too much trouble, could we take the seeds off your hands" Vlad held out his hand in a gentlemanly manner.

"My family was carelessly taken up by these weapons that were meant to protect them, I grieved for the longest time, but then I realized." He threw the bag into Vlad's hands and we quickly took a peak inside. It was nothing but dust.

"I needed a way to control it. It was useless if it could only steal the power, I needed to harness it, and use it for my own" Filou slipped a necklace out from his sleeve.

It held a purple gem, but emitted a pink glow, almost as if it couldn't contain it's own power. There were odd markings as well. Dots and lines were in certain places that reminded me of a clock.

"You're invention has advanced to great standards" Vlad happily reached for the Gem as Filou pulled away.

"Many a ghost has come and gone, trying to control the gem, and they all perished"

"Why?" I stepped forward.

"When first worn the jewel will give the wearer a steady flow of increasing power, taking it to it's highest rate, then stealing it. But if the ghost wearing the jewel can't handle it, The jewel will take in the his power, killing on the spot. But if a ghost's soul can accept the jewel, and the jewel can accept the soul, then the jewel will be complete. The completed Jewel of Ectocide will amplify a ghosts power by the highest degree possible, but at the cost of a soul being trapped inside"

"Either way, the first person to wear The Ectocide Jewel, will die" I butted in.

"But think of the power! All we need is some idiot to wear it, and it'll be complete" Vlad interrupted trying to reach the jewel again. Filou fired a ghost ray for him to keep away, but Vlad hit the wall and passed out in the process. I transformed and walked apprehensively forward to protect him.

"Although, all ghosts seem to have failed at containing it.. Maybe half-ghosts such as yourselves can do better" He quickly flew around behind me. "Being half-ghost, you could fill yourself with ghost energy."

"That makes no sense!" I attempted to punch him, but he dodged it.

"Think of a container. Half-full of sand, half-full of water, that's what you are. And The Jewel of Ectocide will increase the sand in that container, until the container is full. Then it takes the sand, leaving the container with nothing" He clasped his hands together signifying the end.

"Then.. The jewel will make the ghost half, overpower the human half" Vlad stood up, transforming into Plasmius.

"Does this not interest you Cali?" Filou seemed to have read my thoughts on wanting to get out of here.

*why's he so interested in me, I'm not the only hybrid, and he has Vlad practically lunging to his death to try out that Jewel* I thought speculating the situation.

"Because you're young, you can grow with the jewel" He whispered in my ear as he slipped the jewel around my neck.

"What?" I thought I didn't hear him right, and I failed to notice as he clipped the necklace on.

"Cali, no!" Vlad flew at me, firing at Filou.

"Wha-at!" In between uncertainty, something began to choke me.

My eye's watered as I kneeled on the ground. I remember hearing Vlad yelling, then like magic, it was gone. I took breathes with pain and laid on the ground, wiping my tears away. I gave in and stopped, resting my arm over my eyes. Vlad picked me up by the hand.

"I just want to go home.." I looked dejectedly downwards as he set me on my feet. Then I became aware of the jewel, and before I could break it off Vlad told me "Don't!"

"The Jewel of Ectocide is your life now, you lose it, you die" Filou grinned with the satisfactory of victory. I wanted to yell back at him, but the room distracted me. It suddenly became vivid, with the paintings on the walls giving off images and color. The paintings were of ghosts, a girl, a lady, and Filou. They looked like family. I gripped the jewel, it felt real, but there was no way this little gem could control me.

"I thought as much, you can see them. I hid these images from others using my power of illusion, but since the Jewel of Ectocide was made by my power, it made them visible to you. Since you hold part of me" His spiteful smile remained unfading.

"As if I'll ever believe that this can manipulate my life, you _hateful_ creature!" I spat as I threw the jewel across the ground. But Vlad wrapped it back around my neck as I began to choke again.

"There is a way for her to take this off without dying, correct?" Vlad almost pleaded to Filou, probably not wanting a lawsuit.

"No, the course will go on, nothing can change that"

Negative emotions were building up, as I apprehended everything. I'm dying, but I'm technically already half-dead. This new world is crazy. And I need to find my way home. This has to be a dream.

"And you can go. Live your life, and when you're done, I'll pick you up" Filou spoke as if we were neighbors saying goodbye for the night, practically sociable.

Vlad retaliated, I was so glad he didn't want my death either, he told Filou "There has to be a way."

Then the place began to melt. Filou was melting, Vlad was melting. I darted after Filou before he was gone, but something flew over me and I blacked out.


	3. Starting Line

Special thanks to spirit01 and fighterofflames for reviewing my story! ^-^

* * *

We somehow ended up inside Vlad's lab after Filou pulled that trick with the melting room. And this was a week or two ago. Nevertheless I remember that day clearly. My parents chewed me out for getting home at seven in the morning, thankfully they allowed me to eat dinner. But it might be considered breakfast at that time.

Later, Vlad informed me that he had sent Skulker to keep an eye on Filou, but his house had disappeared. We have nothing to go on now. However, Vlad shakily promised to find some way to save me before the time ran out, as long as I didn't sue him. By 'time' I mean this deadly necklace, it has moving parts on it that turn like a timer, which most likely signifies how much longer I live. But, my hopes are going down the drain every night as me and Vlad visit the Portal, our searches for Filou always prove unsuccessful.

"Hey Cali" surprisingly, all my friends met me at the school's front doors.

"Hey.." I yawned.

"We noticed you've been acting funny recently" Natalie pointed out.

"Why are you moving?" Sadie bluntly asked.

"Moving?" I jerked my head back a little, caught off guard.

"Yeah, we heard from Jo" Julian pushed Jo forward.

"Uh.. My parents work in real-estate… So like, your parents met with my parents and.. Yeah.." Jo stuttered and mumbled.

"What he's trying to say is" Sadie punched his arm. "He saw your parents and his parents taking online tours for any good houses on sale.. In.." Sadie turned to everybody trying to remember something.

"California? I think" Julian pondered.

"My Mom's home state?" I asked. "She must be kidding, my parents haven't hinted a word about anything like that"

"No, they were serious. She was like raving about that dude you did time for" Jo interjected.

"Aw, man.." I ran my hand through my hair and took off for home. Mom must have caught my visits to Vlad. She doesn't like him at all, but moving? Even that was too bizarre.

I stood in front of my home. Moving vans were stealing my things. This is impossible… I ran inside and Mom was directing orders on how to handle our furniture.

"Mom, what is this?" I emphasized by spreading out my arms.

"Cali!" Mom gasped as if I caught her doing something wrong. "I- I wanted to wait till later, but ok, we're moving to California.. it's peaceful there." She assured me.

"That's-! No! You can't do that, my life is here, I still haven't found Filo-" I caught my choice of words, but Mom didn't notice. "Why… Why move now! I've lived here my whole life, and **now** you want to just up and move?" I retaliated.

"I understand why you're upset, but it was definitely not a spur of the Moment decision. Camillia you've been running off, against me and your fathers wishes, and spending time with that mad scientist. It may be interesting, but his experiments are dangerous! And you're falling behind in school, honey, your teachers have called me numerous times complaining about how you sleep in class. I'm sick of it! Your attitude has just been getting worse and worse since you started high school!" Mom built up enough anger for me to push against the wall.

"I! …" I couldn't fight back without revealing my ghost secret, so I plainly said "I'll do better…"

"Better is not enough. You have the wrong personality, the wrong friends, and you've always been distant from us" Mom quickly wiped away a tear.

Nothing came to mind when it was my turn to speak. I didn't care, or I didn't want to believe it. If that's how she saw me, fine. I walked away, and Mom gripped my arm for me to stay.

"You guys…" I sighed, grief stricken, as I caught sight my friends standing in the doorway. I tugged away from Mom and followed them outside.

"So that's it then, your mom hates us" Jo firmly stated.

"No, she just.. She doesn't understand. . . My Mom's looking for everything she can pin my bad behavior on, before she blames herself"

"Bad behavior?" Julian attempted to laugh.

"But to us you're as gentle as a mouse" Megan smiled.

"I know, and I'm not. At least not to my parents.."

"Then fix it" Sadie insisted.

"I wish.." I drifted off. "I got mixed up in something.. And I can't.."

"Sorry" Natalie said. Everyone moved at once for an awkward group hug. When we pulled apart I told them I would skip school today.

"Don't.. Don't leave without saying goodbye" Jo patted me on the head and left with everyone as they said goodbye. I walked back and Mom was innocently cleaning.

"It's where I grew up. I'm sure you'll like it" There was a hint of guilt in her voice after saying all that in front of my friends. She walked up and handed me several boxes "Pack what you want to take with you" She said, regaining her composure.

"When will we be leaving?" I asked.

"Today or tomorrow, it depends on how fast we get everything done." She looked over to the moving van then added as an afterthought "We'll also be going up to your school later to unenroll you"

I ran to my room and took in a deep calming breath. After some time I packed my sketchbooks, plush toys, music, and any other important things. Then I transformed into my ghostly form and flew to Vlad's. He was asleep when I got there.

"Old man" I tried to wake him. "Old man! We've got a problem!" I shouted as he jumped out of bed. "Pfft~" I snorted then laughed at his ridiculous pink pajamas and plush doll.

"Cali! Have you any inkling on what time it is!" Vlad pointed to his clock accusingly.

"Yeah.. what's all this?" I giggled picking up a plush doll from his bed, it resembled a girl in a blue suit.

"None of your business" He hissed snatching it away. "Now, what do you need?" He asked putting on a coat.

"Something came up, and we gotta talk" I said.

"Then wait in my lab as I spruce up" He said walking into his restroom.

I phased through the floor then untransformed. As I waited Skulker phased in from the Portal.

"Any news?" I asked, no longer fearing him since he helps in the search for Filou.

"None, just hiding from my girlfriend" He grunted.

"Girlfriend?" I laughed on the word.

"What? Are you disappointed that I'm not single?" He ginned.

"Ew…ewwww…" I shuddered at the thought. "I just didn't think ghosts got into relationships"

"You'd be surprised how lonely eternity gets" He narrowed his eyes annoyed.

"Valid point.. But as a hunter I expected your first love to be your weapon.. Or your kill"

"What an intellectual remark, child. At first that is true, but when the hunt is over, it's pleasing to have someone to come back to"

"Please tell me I didn't just step in on a therapy session" Vlad complained.

"No" I stated simply. "Unless you want to?"

"I do not need help" He stopped on every word to add effect.

"Touchy" I threw my hands up in defense. Skulker quickly escaped into the portal.

"Now, what is it?" He asked rubbing his temples.

"I'm moving to California"

"What!"

"Today or tomorrow.. We've gotta find Filou now!" I shouted sounding more urgent.

"Wait, think this over. I'll be searching for Filou regardless, but you still have those powers that, as we speak, are becoming more and more uncontrollable with your new source of strength" Vlad said.

"So what, I've got flying, intangibility, and invisibility down"

"Basics! You must be able to shield yourself!" He shouted firing an ectoplasmic ray at me.

"Hey.." I cringed in pain. "not cool.."

"Skulker will be searching again today so let's hone your skills"

"As you say" I mocked as I built my first ectoplasmic ray and fired it on Vlad. It missed.

"Extraordinary" He beamed.

"Then let's go!" I challenged wanting to work off all the stress.

We trained with ghost shields, rays, and duplication. But I couldn't get those down. So, I stuck with kicking and punching.

"Time to come to an end" Vlad checked his watch. I looked at a clock and noticed it was dinnertime.

"How about I stay here?" I gasped for breath. "If I eat dinner here we can train all night, and you don't look at all tired yet" I tempted.

"You're moving"

"They can't leave without me" I confirmed. We had a cheese filled dinner. Followed by a brief break. Then we went back to train.

After the first few hours I'm not sure what I was running on. I knew I wasn't making much progress because I couldn't land one attack on him. And a lot of the attacks were way off. Vlad kept going since he had an energetic boxing partner. But, as soon as I broke down Vlad made me go home. He said he'd visit me soon after I got to my new home to see how the jewel is affecting me. I thought it weird at first, but I agreed.

I took to the skies then weakly landed in front of my home. The moving Vans were gone and our car was packed with our belongings. It was already morning, probably the afternoon. I walked to my room and found everything I packed was taken. Even my bed and furniture. All gone.

"Cali!" Dad called.

"Yeah Dad?" I came out of my room, into the living room.

"Let's go" He tapped my back for me to go out the door.

"Now?" I gasped.

"Yes now" Mom pulled me the rest of the way to the car.

"But there's still so much I haven't done!" I exclaimed as she shoved me in the car.

"Is that a fever!" Mom broke in and slapped her hand to my forehead, cheeks, and neck in record time.

"What happened?" Dad quickly came around.

"Cali's sick" Mom sighed going through some boxes.

"I'm fine" I reassured.

"Here" Mom laid me down in the back seat and set a thick cover over my body. Dad kindly gave me a pillow.

"But, my friends-" I started to say as the car started. Mom went rummaging around for last minute checking to see if we forgot anything.

"You have their phone numbers, besides you said goodbye yesterday"

"We're moving, Mom. It's not like it'll be the same in text as it would be in person" I firmly stated.

"Actually, it's not really goodbye. My Father still lives here, so, we'll visit" Dad attempted to act cheery. But I didn't exactly like to visit my cynical grandfather with his thousands of farm animals.

"And you'll be starting all over in California, making _new_ friends. It's where I grew up, so I'm sure you'll enjoy it" Mom was still trying to enforce the fact that this idea was good, with her 'know-it-all' personality kicking in.

"Alright" Mom sat down and slammed her door with Dad in the drivers seat.

"Say: Goodbye house" Dad and Mom waved out their windows to the hollow place I used to call home.

"Goodbye house" we gave a farewell in unison. The sight was spine chilling. I watched our house until it disappeared from sight. And even though I know a house isn't alive, it sure does feel like something just died.

* * *

Hours down the road and all I did was stare to the car's ceiling, which is something I don't recall doing much. Maybe because the window always beckons to me. I looked to the window, and from my position, all I could see was the sky. Fatigue set in and my body grew heavy and weak, so I slept. And the smooth road added to the music from the radio helped me do so.

"She's so peaceful like this" I soundlessly awoke to Mom's whispering voice.

"She's your daughter" Dad chuckled.

"Yours too" Mom giggled.

*Ick, they're flirting..* I thought. The whirr of passing cars, and the silent engine meant Dad pulled over on the side of the rode to sleep for the night. A brush of hair follow by a kiss to my head almost blew my fake sleep cover.

"Our little girl" Mom declared tenderly. "Remember when she came home with that flower, covered in mud?" Mom asked amused.

"She came home yelling 'the mud tried to eat it'" Dad laughed.

I remember Mom retelling this story. Eight years old, and my determination for Mom to have the perfect Mothers Day, depended on what present she got. And against a sea of mushy dirt I practically swam to pick a dandelion precariously perched in the midst of it all.

"She takes after you" Dad nudged Mom. Then they went into a fit of pokes.

"Really!" I grinned and laughed.

"Yes, really!" Mom and Dad simultaneously shifted to tickle every laugh out of my body.

"Stooop stop!" I screamed as they relaxed back in their inclined seats.

"Are you feeling better?" Dad pressed his hand to my cheeks after a moment of rest.

"Yep" I said, but Dad begged to differ with my temperature still peaking.

"Lay back" Mom instructed as she placed a wet towel to my head.

"Night" I let slip out.

"Night" Mom and Dad replied.

"Love you"

"Love you too" They murmured dozing off.

"So… what's the house like?" I asked, not feeling tired at all.

"Camillia.. tomorrow" Dad sighed.

"Right" I nestled back into bed.

* * *

Danny and friends appear in the next chapter!


	4. Uncertainty Leads To Deception

We arrived at midnight to our new home, making this quaint town rather eerie. Named: Amity Park, Mom says she grew up here. Regardless of the time, Mom still had those poor movers put every piece of furniture in the house. And I cleverly claimed a room upstairs, making those poor move-it-men hate me to the bitter core as they dragged a twin sized bed up the stairs.

"Imma go look around" I shouted walking out the door. Dad approved, half-hearing what I said.

Every bit of the block I now lived on shrieked 'normalness!' But deep in the mischievous part of my heart I knew something was waiting for me, like a new song with the perfect beat. All I had to do was listen. And like it. But jetlag was getting the last of my sanity with the two hour difference ruining my sleep cycle. 12:52AM here, 2:52AM there.

A flicker of light sparked in the sky catching my attention. But when I observed closer, it was gone.

"UFO?" I thought out loud. *Mom should know I'm not there by now* I thought as I twirled around to head home. My ghost sense went off at that moment and froze me in my tracks.

"Stop!" Someone yelled as an arm swept me off my feet and constricted my neck. Slowly becoming visible in front of me was a shady ghost kid, who lacked most colors of the rainbow. And the perpetrator holding me back was, my metal coated ally, Skulker.

"Skulker, let her go." The kid wearily commanded.

"Why? With this, I can leave peacefully" Skulker grinned as he pulled a glowing blade to my neck.

"Have you lost it! Vlad-" I whispered angrily to Skulker.

"Vlad isn't here" He said as a side note then continued the fight with the kid.

"This is a new low, but I'm not surprised. You never could hunt me down, so now your stealing from me and hiding behind hostages to make an escape. Too afraid to fight?" The kid cunningly commented.

"As if anyone could fear you!" Skulker spat as he threw me to the ground and lunged at the ghost.

In all the commotion I made an escape. And as I ran out of breath, I realized too late, I was going the wrong way. And sadly, I got lost. When I made a u-turn to retrace my steps, Skulker came crashing down beside me.

"Ahhh!" He yelled as he was sucked into the ghost kid's device.

*Whoa whoa whoa! What was that!* I stared bug-eyed at the kid floating above me, as I struck a defensive pose.

"Are you hurt?" He asked as he circled around me.

"Fine" I replied, watching his every move carefully. "Ah!" I yelped when he pulled at my arm.

"Sorry" He apologized as I pulled my arm back to inspect the injury he found.

"It's just a scratch" I said as I found the scrape on my elbow.

"Uh, you don't.. seem to be from around here" He scratched at his neck and looked over me.

"Just got here, are you a local?" I asked suspiciously.

"Yes, um, no. I- come and go" he stammered.

*He doesn't seem evil* I thought while I observed his behavior.

"Bye" he said as he retreated to the skies.

"Hold it!" I reached forward.

"Yeah?"

"Ahmm.. Could you fly up and tell me if you see a house with moving vans in the front?" I asked with the utmost amount of politeness I could pull out.

"There's one! At the end of this block" He pointed to the east from where I stood.

"Thanks" I saluted to him then ran home.

Apparently no one knew I was gone. Mom and Dad were too busy fixing everything to notice. The next day we woke up late in the afternoon, and my parents were almost late to their new job. They're now bank managers after the higher ups transferred them here and put in a good word.

As for me, I spent most of the day hanging up my old drawings. And I added in a couple dozen pictures of my family and friends. Then I admired my hard work before my stomach gave the next cue. Lunch. So, I hit the town, loaded with my allowance.

I came to a place decently named Nasty Burger. Which I was going to pass by until I saw people my age visiting the establishment. I couldn't pass the opportunity to mingle with my new social group so I went inside and ordered two burgers with water. Everyone here seemed too preoccupied with their own peers so I sat by my lonesome in the back.

"Ack" I gasped and began to choke on my ghost sense. I got up to make an escape when I heard a frenzy of screams and raves for the exit.

"Are you going to finish that?" A soft voice came a few inches from me.

"Sure.." I answered precariously when I saw a ghost lady hovering beside me. Looking pleased with my words she forced me back into my seat. Then she motioned politely for me to eat.

"Why are you making me eat?" I asked, not getting any impression of hostility.

"It's my job to make you children healthy" she controlled dozens of meat related foods to float around me.

"Ever think of retirement!" I threw a hamburger to her face and made a break for the door.

"No, this is what I was trained for" I reminded myself as I got halfway through the building.

"What's your deal, run!" a girl and a guy grabbed me before I could transform and hauled me outside. We took a breather a few yards from the building, and when I looked up I made eye contact with a boy in a red beret.

"Your eye's are blue, like the ocean. And baby I'm lost at sea!" He said happily after observing me.

"Was that a pickup line?" I laughed.

"My apologies" the girl pushed him away. "He's senseless like that"

"That's ok, at least he tries" I shrugged. The girl laughed and agreed along with the boy.

"WHOA" the two kids were shot down by giant clumps of meat.

"Never waste food, child!" A meat monster growled as it hovered above me.

"Me? I think it's you who wastes food" I scoffed and pointed to the masses where the two kids once stood. The lady got irritated and smacked me down to pick me up in her massive hand.

"Would you like a healthy snack?" She delicately asked, I only glared at her. "I'm tired of you brats always rebelling against me!" she snapped and threw me down. But, the air whooshing through my hair went opposite to where I expected it.

"Hey" it was the ghost kid from last night. I glanced around soon understanding that he caught me before the gravity helped me meet the ground.

"I owe you a favor, now" I laughed, obviously glad to see him.

"What's so funny? Last night you looked absolutely scared of me" He grinned as he set me down.

"I" I thought of an answer "easily trust people"

"You two must be on a diet, practically skin and bones" the monster picked up the ghost kid and dangled him by the foot.

"I'll return that favor now" I ran behind the Nasty Burger and transformed into my ghostly half.

I returned to the ghost kid in a heated battle, firing ghost rays at the monster as it swatted at him like a fly. I went at it with a flying kick, but my kick was easily absorbed by the piles of meat.

"Maybe if you ate better, you could beat me." she shook me off.

"Eat better.." I thought a little on that and flew home. "Here!" I grabbed my dog whistle and flew through town, unleashing reinforcements from their restraints. Dog's from all around answered my dog whistle and followed me back to the monster. They didn't need any help to tear the meat apart, but from nowhere, a ghost puppy flew in and morphed into an enormous dog. He easily broke the ghost lady out of her high protein defense, and the ghost kid took her up in his device.

"Who're you?" The ghost kid asked as he aimed the device, which resembled a thermos, at me.

"Friend" I filched and flew out of range. "And you?" I called from afar.

"Danny Phantom" He shouted.

"Cali Knight" I said as I landed on ground.

"I had the Lunch Lady under control, you didn't have to make this mess!" Danny signaled out all the animals.

"I helped" I crossed my arms. *Danny's nice to humans, and he has something against his own kind?* I made a mental note.

"And what are you doing out of the Ghost Zone?" He asked with authority in his voice.

"What?" I asked.

"What's what? The Ghost Zone? You don't know what the Ghost Zone is?" He asked, caught off guard. I shook my head for a 'no,' "But, aren't you a ghost?"

"Yes" I answered after thinking about it, "aren't you? What are **you **doing out of the Ghost Zone?" I restated.

"I'm here to put no good ghosts like you in their place," Danny said opening his thermos.

"Eek!" I dived intangibly in the ground and untransformed behind The Nasty Burger.

I came back and Danny was gone. The two kids from earlier were getting up from the now decreased clumps of meat, drained and confused.

"You alright?" Me and some other boy asked simultaneously approaching the boy and girl.

"Peachy" the girl gripped her stomach, as her face went pale.

"You know her?" The new arrival asked the other boy in a beret.

"Technically, we're still strangers" the girl said as she extended her hand for mine.

"Cali Nought" I said and took her hand.

"Sam Manson" she shook my hand up above our heads, then down below our hips, followed by a laugh from both of us.

"Tucker Foley" he struck a pose and pulled out a PDA. "FYI, I'm free this weekend, and more if need be"

"Noted" I laughed.

"And I'm Danny Fenton. Pleasure to meet someone who laughs at Tuckers jokes" we all laughed, excluding Tucker who wore a displeasing scowl.

"Do any of you know, what's the deal with all these ghosts?" I asked. "It hasn't even been a day since I moved in and I've already seen.. Four ghosts" I counted.

"That problem is partly because Mr. Fenton can't control the Ghost Portal" Tucker nonchalantly told me. Danny elbowed him.

"Relative?" I asked Danny, he obviously didn't want this information known.

"My Dad.." He sighed.

"Can I see the Portal?" I asked, more enthusiastically then I should have been.

"Maybe another time" Danny looked as if he was suspicious of my motives.

"Awesome!" I hooked their arms and dragged them away.

"Where are we going?" Sam asked.

"Away from here" I pointed at the looming cops. Danny pulled away and I let go of everyone's arms.

"Where to?" Danny grinned at the thrill of evading the law.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to go to my house, no one's home at the moment. Sound good?" I asked everyone. They nodded. Danny sped up slowly taking the lead. Then I forced myself to go faster, Danny noticed and sped up again. And vise versa until we were in a full on race for home.

"Beat you!" I proclaimed, slamming my hand on the door.

"That's only because you knew how to get here" He rested. Sam and Tucker lazily ran up and collapsed on the steps.

"What… the… heck…" Tucker said in-between gasps.

"Go any faster and the police will be onto us for sure" Sam stood up and dusted herself off.

"My bad" I waved it off with a nervous chuckle.

"Police?" I looked up to see Mom, holding me by the nose.

"You're.. suppose to be at work" I grinned uneasily.

"Thank heavens I'm not! What have you been up to!" Mom interrogated as I secretly signaled for Sam, Danny, and Tucker, to run away.

"Hold it" Mom managed to grab Danny who was closer while Sam and Tucker took off for safety.

"I came home early **on request **to make you lunch, don't make me regret it" She looked at me mostly while occasionally glancing at Danny.

"We were just playing a game of cops and robbers" I shrugged. I was a good liar, but Danny's nervousness gave way to Moms 'look.'

"His expression says otherwise" Mom concluded and released Danny.

"You watch one too many detective shows. But you got me. Down at the Nasty Burger, there was a big ghost fight." I sighed. Mom chuckled, amused.

"Nonbeliever" I said spookily as I put my hands up and danced my fingers back and forth.

"You don't believe in ghosts?" Danny asked as if it was common knowledge.

"Oh, so you're in on it too? Cali's been telling us ghost stories ever since she did community service for that mad scientist" Mom giggled and picked up some groceries that were set at the bottom of the steps.

"Mad scientist, maybe." I flopped my hands to the side somewhat agreeing. "His name's Vlad" I told Danny as Mom walked inside, she must've given up on the ghost story.

"Masters?" He continued.

"Yep, we were neighbors" Mom was giving me 'the look' which meant she didn't like the subject. "I'll go on later.. Wanna see my room?" I asked.

"Sure" He brightened up.

"Wait" Mom caught me.

"Oh, Intros.. Mom, this is Danny Fenton. Danny this is my Mom"

"Nice to meet you" Mom said as they exchanged a firm handshake.

"Same here, Mrs. Nought" Danny unsteadily said.

We walked into my room and I made sure Danny entered first to take everything in full effect.

"Wooow" Danny admired the art and pictures all around my room.

"Yep" I boasted as I pulled out a sketchbook to rough draft what I remember of today.

"You made all of these?" He asked.

"Uh-huh. You won't find a diary in my room, because I record my life through the drawings I create" I took a moment to breathe in all that was around me.

"Ha, so you like to show off.. I'd like to do this too. But the most I can draw is a tree on a hill with the sun in the corner" Danny continually observed the walls.

"You said your sister drew that" Sam said as she entered.

"I knew you wouldn't abandon us" I happily shouted.

"Yeah, when we got around the next street Sam dragged me back. Then your mother lead us up here.." Tucker gloomed.

"Friends don't abandon friends" Sam asserted.

"Ah~ It's ok. Cause I told you to run" I waved it off.

"More friends?" Mom came in with a bowl of popcorn.

"Yeah!" I leaped over and grabbed the popcorn from Mom's hands, "Sam, Tucker. This is my Mom"

"Good to meet you" Sam and Tucker greeted. Mom left and I revealed what I had been sketching as everyone ate at the popcorn.

"Can anyone tell me about this ghost? He goes by the name Danny Phantom" I queried.

"Uh.." Tucker gave Danny a sidelong glance.

"He" Sam held 'he' for awhile until she came up with answer "Protects the town" Tucker agreed with a nod.

"how valiant" I ended. It was evident that I wasn't going to get any more information by the looks I was receiving.

"Your into art?" Tucker and Sam took a gaze at the art in my room.

"It helps the mind and soul" I crossed my legs and pretended to meditate. Then I clasped a hand over my mouth to cover the forewarning of a ghost.

"Maybe you could teach us sometime" Sam was stopped abruptly by screams directly downstairs. Of course I was the first to zoom down, closely followed by Danny, and what I ran into shocked me. Mom had fainted under the kitchen table. And Skulker was there, searching for something. I hid behind Danny so Skulker wouldn't point out any of our relations. But Tucker and Sam pulled me away, for some odd reason, and revealed where I hid.

"Ah ha!" Skulker found it, or more precisely, me.

"Don't" Danny began as he stood between us.

"Or what?" Skulker taunted as he shoved Danny away. Tucker and Sam were easily pushed to the ground as well, while I got snatched up. Skulker flew me out and precariously hid us in a dark alley.

"Do you enjoy tormenting me?" I angrily asked.

"Yes. But you should be thanking me"

"Why?" I asked as he pulled my hand forward.

"I'm under Vlad's orders to tell you what we're up to. Or would you rather those friends of yours hear this too?" He sliced a fresh wound over my thumb, and leaked the blood into a machine. I hissed in pain and looked away.

"I borrowed this Fenton Finder to track Filou"

"Fenton Finder.. How's that help?"

"It tracks ghosts, but I modified it specifically to find ghosts by their genetic power flow"

"And since my powers are merged partly with Filou's you think this'll work?" I asked, relieved to have an answer as to why he sliced my thumb.

"We hope. I managed to steal this device today, by distracting the ghost child with the lunch lady."

"Why distract the ghost kid? It belongs to the Fenton's right?"

"Actually-" Skulker was cut off by a blast from the sky. Skulker sat up and shut the machine where my blood was collected.

"I'll update you later" Skulker angrily flew up to confront his attacker, Danny Phantom.

"Such a poor excuse for a ghost, sneak attacking me like that" Skulker frowned as Danny pulled out his thermos. Skulker rolled his eyes as if this has happened too many times before.

"This time maybe I should leave you by Walker's prison?" Danny asked as he sucked Skulker into his soup container. Danny then took notice of me and came closer. "You okay?"

"Eh.." I gestured from side to side as I examined my hurt finger. "I'm fine"

"That's good.." He slightly chuckled, "You seem to be the ghosts favorite"

"Does that include you?" I retorted. He only smiled and flew away, so I walked home.

As I walked home I contemplated this friendly ghost, Danny Phantom, who I recall being mentioned by Vlad once or twice. It doesn't take long to piece together. The thought of Danny Phantom, a ghost against ghosts, was too much. Ghosts by my knowledge are self-centered, they either lust for power or peace. And being me the mixture of human and ghost, everything would make perfect sense. Danny, like me, didn't choose the best name to disguise himself. But if I figured Danny's double life out, he's figured mine too.

"Cali!" Sam crashed my train of thought. "I've been looking for you" she tapped my shoulder in relief.

"Thanks, but where's-" I pointed out the missing fellows when Sam answered

"Back at your place. In case you got home before I found you"

We got back to Tucker, who was failing at calming my Mom down.

"Cali!" Mom practically teleported to the door. "Tell me, this kid says it was a ghost. I say robot-"

"Majority rules" I interrupted, pleased at last, to win this 'ghost' battle "It **was** a ghost"

"A gho-oh my goodness.. Then- But-" She gave into the ranting in her mind and accepted reality. "Honey, did he hurt you?" She studied my condition and I made known my little battle scar.

"I fought back hard and got away" I falsely gloated. Mom dragged me to the medicine counter.

"This is.. W- why attack you?" Mom, still, was frantic as she nursed me.

"Random act of violence?" Sam suggested.

"That" Mom was going to challenge Sam's words until it seemed to enlighten her "That's it! We're new on the block, so he decides he'll try and scare us away, OoOoh no. Not me. I-" Mom stopped and by our expressions she took in how psychotic she sounded. I snatched a bandage and ran Sam and Tucker up the stairs.

"We're gonna go... Hang… and.. Bye!" I escaped when I spotted Mom regained her poise.

"Where's Danny?" I asked as soon as I become aware that the star of this ghost charade was absent.

"He's," Tucker thought on that and finished when I opened my bedroom door, "here"

"Hey" I annoyingly called out as I took up the magazine in Danny's hands.

"Girl's shave their legs?" Danny asked innocently when I noticed he was on the page 'Top ten things guys don't know about girls.'

*I'm beginning to doubt that this guy is Phantom* I thought. "Let me get this straight.. While Tucker was comforting my Mom, and Sam was searching for me. **You **were lazing about, snooping through my things?"

"I wasn't snooping" Danny protested, skipping over the subject of how he didn't help, I was halfway hoping to get a secret from him.

"This specific magazine was placed in the bottom of my dresser. Either you were snooping, or you're a pervert" I accused. Sam and Tucker didn't understand why Danny was snooping either, but I knew that me and Danny both knew of each other's alternant being. And Danny probably just wanted to know who I am without questions

"I. Am. Not!" He went off.

"A perv or a sneak?" I restated his options.

"Neither!" He ruffled the hair on his head then grabbed Sam and Tucker, "We're going"

"Hmph" I turned away as the door slammed. And as I heard steps and murmurs downstairs I felt distressed that I didn't earn their trust more before this fight erupted. Then again why couldn't Danny just trust me?


	5. A Schooling In Socializing

Special thanks to ElenaxoxoSilber for reviewing my story :D

* * *

Mom courteously dropped me off at school on my first day. Casper High, which felt like a play on words with Amity being the ghost city it is. Different kinds of kids, from all different directions flowed into the front doors. I entered first period and the teacher sat me in the back. I watched nervously as the backs of heads turned and everyone eyed me, even Sam and Tucker were here, but I didn't dare to speak to them after yesterday.

"Sorry, I'm late" Danny puffed at the door.

"Mr. Fenton, take your seat. I'll let this tardy pass today, only because I have more important things to attend to." The teacher talked in a smooth tone, that had intimidating air to it. "Camillia"

"Ye- yeah?" I never liked teachers calling my name.

"My name is Mr. Lancer. Class, this is Camillia Nought. I expect your behavior, Ms. Nought, to reflect those that are presented in my class. Respect and diligence"

"Yes sir" I dejectedly sat down. That was clearly a threat, he must've read my record. Danny took a seat in-between me and Sam on the back row.

"Morning" Danny greeted Sam and Tucker.

"Morning" they replied. Danny looked over to me and said "uh, morning"

"Morning" I smiled, feeling a bit of hope.

Lancer set us up in groups and I was paired with two, well-groomed, girls. We were suppose to study Shakespeare's poems, but instead…

"Oh my gosh you **are** adorable" My partner, Paulina, said in response to Star's comment on my looks.

"Your cheeks are so round and rosy-" Star was cut off by me asking for them to work. Paulina didn't do anything more then put her name on the paper, while Star actually read and answered one or two of the questions. The bell rang and Paulina directed me to my next class. And throughout the day Paulina and Star had an obligation to not leave me alone.

"Hey, Cali" Sam pulled me out of the line at lunch.

"A word of advise. Stay away from Paulina" Sam menaced.

"Ah, she's harmless" I stated laughing it off.

"Not that" Sam urged, "Girls like Paulina only make friends with girls like you to tear you down"

"What's going on?" Paulina harmlessly whined.

"Sam's just giving me some friendly tips" I said as Sam left.

"Well don't get caught hanging with that loser" Paulina took a bite of her pudding.

"Oh" my interest sparked, there's history behind this bickering. "Why's that?"

"_Esta Loca_" Paulina spat.

"She's just upset cause Sam likes to rhyme Paulina's name with.. Unflattering words" Star answered.

"Hmm" I took everything into account.

"Don't look too much into that" Paulina threatened. "And don't get any ideas"

"Yes ma'am" I raised one hand, as if pledging. Paulina's true feelings towards me were finally showing. Paulina and her group threw their trash away and left. Then the bell rang.

"Crud" My head hit the table. *I forgot to eat lunch* I thought.

"Yo" Danny peaked into my bubble.

"Hi" I swiftly fixed myself.

"Sorry, for yesterday" He shyly offered me a handful of blackberries.

"Thanks" I accepted them while tucking my hair behind my ear, "Listen I shouldn't have gone off like that.." we were interrupted by Star, skipping and prodding her way into our conversation.

"Uhm, Cali?" she dully asked, in her high pitched voice. "Come on" she dragged me from Danny.

"Seriously?" I growled as Star led me into the girls bathroom. Before I could yell at her someone slammed me against the wall.

"Listen, there are rules if you want to be in my group." Paulina snapped with a hint of her Mexican accent.

"Don't talk to the unpopular" Star put one finger up.

"Two, you can't parade around that your friends with me" Paulina chimed then growled "Cause you're not"

"Not even friends" I mockingly snickered as the late bell rang, "then I guess anyone close to you is the equivalent of an assistant or a lapdog" I pushed through them to walk out the door.

"Walk away now and I'll ruin your chances of ever surviving here" Paulina hissed.

"Forget it. I'd rather not play your little game of limbo through high school" I walked out and propped myself by the door outside to hear what they had to say after that. All that could be audible was '-that stupid-unbelievable!' When they came out I smiled benevolently at them, with a side of humor, as I ate my blackberries.

"No one disrespects me like this" Paulina lowly growled followed by a shove from Star. Then, ever so slightly, Paulina pulled back. Reaching her hand over her mouth added with a fake gasp, as the blackberries I held smeared over my shirt.

"How low can you go?" Paulina giggled with Star, as if she's won.

"Alright" I crossed my arms, dropping the rest of my squished berries. "You've had your fun, but I'd like to see you win a fight with me.. after school" I calmly challenged.

"I'm shivering" Paulina ridiculed.

We entered the classroom late and I rolled my eyes to the wall as silent giggles popped up all around.

"Um" Danny pointed to the stain as I took my seat.

"I'll tell ya later" I heatedly sighed.

* * *

"This.. Really breaks my spotlight" I spoke after school to Dash and his friends.

"Really?" Dash cracked his knuckles.

"Yeah, I really thought we bonded as buddies in the chemistry lab" I turned slightly with my arms crossed to give them all a sidelong glare, apparently Paulina set me up to fight with the jocks, instead of a simple cat fight.

"Go on, hit her" Dash shoved Kwan forward. And enlightenment hit me; these guys have taken in the age-old advise from mothers worldwide, to not fight a girl. They shoved each other left and right for someone to step up and take me on. And one lonely guy confronted me as the loser to rock-paper-scissors. We balled our fists up hesitantly and took a stance.

"Throw the first punch" The guy tempted. He was burly, tall, and reeked of cologne. I was a kicker, and even though I could kick above my own head, there was no way to go for his. So I kicked at his chest. He caught my foot and twirled me around to hit the ground.

"Whoa, he hit a girl" Dash pointed out, then whispers could be heard from the spectating jocks, like hot rumors in a crowd of girls.

"Guys" The guy complained. I jumped up and kicked his leg, and as he prompted to retaliate I was tugged backwards.

"How dare you hit a girl" Sam scolded. Danny, Sam, and Tucker emerged from the bush where they had been hiding.

"Yeah, that's low" Tucker put in.

"Even for you, Dash" Danny directed, even though Dash didn't touch me, Danny clearly wanted the guilt on him.

"Now, I'm in. I didn't know she was one of **your** little geek friends" Dash smacked a fist into his hand.

"Actually" I broke in but Danny interrupted me, "And we'll stick up for her. Unlike your friends" Danny let out and amused chuckle. "I bet they'll leave you at the first sign of danger" he menaced. Then out of nowhere, police sirens went off, growing louder every second. The tension rose and every one of the jocks began to fidget and stir around. "Dude, we're out" Kwan gave a farewell to Dash, the last man standing.

"Cowards!" He yelled then looked fiercely to Danny "You'll pay for this later, Fenton" he jabbed a finger into Danny's chest then ran off with the rest.

"Yes!" we all joined in a high five. Tucker observed my uneasiness and showed me his PDA.

"Relax, it's a prank" he replayed the siren from his PDA.

"You con!" I jokingly punched him in the arm. "All of you!" I ecstatically brought them together for a group hug. "Thanks"

"Your welcome" Danny escaped the hug "Now, I'd like to know what happened before I regret saving you"

I paused and explained the incident with Paulina as we walked home.

"Bout time!" Sam enthusiastically punched the air. Danny glared at her, disapproving of my behavior.

"Danny's had a crush on Paulina for like ever. And Sam hates her" Tucker whispered to me.

"Oh" my confusion clarified.

"Oh man" Sam nervously looked to her watch. "I was suppose to test that new version of Doomed for my parent's client from the gaming company"

"Doomed?" Tucker eagerly asked, "can I come?"

"Uh, sure. But we gotta go fast" Sam looked to Danny and me. "Wanna go too?"

"I'm not much for the electronic world" I backed off.

"And I wanted to show Cali my parents lab, since she was interested" Danny added. It felt like Danny's words were a signal for Sam and Tucker, because they took off with only a small goodbye.

"Why and how do your parents have a ghost portal anyway?" I asked as we treaded down the sidewalk.

"They're ghost hunters, and they built the portal so they could look into the ghost's world. But I call it the Ghost Zone"

"Have you ever been there?"

"A few times" He caught his words "But don't tell anyone"

"Promise" I crossed an X over my chest.

I stopped as Danny walked into a house with an extravagant roof that advertised 'Fenton Works.' Then I sprinted up to grab Danny's arm.

"You **live** here?" I exaggerated. Danny only sighed as we came into a silent living room.

"My family said they would be out shopping today" He walked me through the living room, into the kitchen, and down to the basement.

"Awesome!" I exclaimed, picking up every object to examine it. "All this for hunting ghosts?" I asked as I pondered a way to pilfer Danny's gadgets for defeating Filou.

"Yeah" The dark sound in Danny's voice gave me chills. As I turned to register his attitude, a painful zap coursed through my body.

"AAHHHHhhh!" I shrieked and fell over. Then I sat up to find a metallic belt wrapped around my waist.

"That's the Specter Deflector. It should shorten out your powers in case you wanna try something" Danny tested.

"Just when I thought-" I ceased my rage and put my poker face back on. "Clever.. You gain my trust, just enough, so I would follow you down here. Like a mouse in a trap"

"You could say that.."

"What do you want?"

"Last time I caught Skulker I interrogated him to see if he knew about your relation to Vlad"

"And~?"

"He didn't say much.."

"Ha"

"So, what's your connection? Why are you here?" He questioned, rather harshly.

"You act like I have something against you" I teasingly laughed. Then he pulled the thermos on me. "Ahh, soup" I said with a deadpan expression.

"I'll ask one more time. What's your connection to Vlad?" He intimidated.

"You don't like him do you?"

"He's my arch nemesis"

"Then don't worry, were only colleagues"

"Colleagues for what?"

"A search and rescue"

"He wouldn't help anyone. He only uses people" Danny set the thermos down. I got up in pain then leaned onto a table.

"He would if there was a possibility to gain power.. But that power put someone's life is in danger, so we're in a search to find the creator of this power for an answer to stop the death"

"Then he needs to save this person to gain the power?"

"No"

"Then you're lying. Vlad doesn't care about killing people. He almost killed a clone he created, several times" Danny emphasized. I took this information questioningly, Danny wasn't quick-witted enough to come up with that as a lie. Did this mean Vlad's gone soft on me?


	6. Blast From The Past

"You're not being specific, who's life is at stake? And what power?" Danny asked, getting more cozy in these circumstances.

"I can't. I've said too much already" I acted dramatic, and swooned to a chair. Then I jumped up and grabbed Danny's arm.

"AHHhhh!" Danny yelped in pain from coming in contact with the Specter Deflector through me.

"Aha, I thought so" I said as my suspicions of Danny's ghostly half were confirmed. Then I seized the key from his pocket and released myself from the belt. Finally I transformed to fly off.

"Chao n' stay optimistic my distrusted amigo" I saluted as I phased out of the ceiling.

* * *

"How's this work.." I sat on the roof of my home trying to figure out the Specter Deflector I stole from Danny.

"It looks like it activates as you attach to a ghost but.." I felt uneasy holding it, like it would hurt me again.

"And you steal?" Danny came by in ghostly form, and snatched the belt from me.

"Borrow. And take it back, I can't use it. There's no way you can get close enough to put that on a ghost" I laid back, floating and relaxing on the air.

"It's not meant for ghosts, it's meant for humans. Hence the word deflect"

"Oh, so it's like a mosquito repellant. Is there a slogan?_ Ghost be gone_" I waved out imaginary words on the sky.

"Stop joking already and tell me what your angle is" Danny floated in front of me, more composed, like a cop.

"Your more confident in your ghostly form" I observed. "And my angle is good. I'm not out to hurt anyone in this world.. But you want to know the secrets I'm keeping from you?"

"Pretty much" He leaned back, relieved that he might get useable information now.

"Well, everyone needs their secrets. If we didn't have them we wouldn't feel secure, like celebrities. Besides, why do you needa know?"

"Because.." He raised an index finger then dismayingly put it down. Then he raised it "Because Vlad's my uncle"

"Oh! So! You're the niece he spoke of"

"He's.. Spoken of me?" Danny's voice cracked.

"Vlad mentioned you fondly as someone disrespectful" I mentioned.

"Well, that's true" Danny laughed, proud at what he's done.

"What do you have against him?"

"Vlad wants to kill my Dad" He looked more serious now.

"Why?"

"We'll Vlad and my parents were friends in college. Vlad had a thing for my Mom. And after my Dad caused the incident that gave Vlad ghost powers, he married My Mom. So, now Vlad's bent on revenge for My Dad ruining his life and his chances at my Mom."

"Wow, I had no idea… He needs psychiatric help more then I originally thought" I said half seriously as Danny began to laugh. To ruin the moment our senses went off and warned of a nearby ghost.

"My mental health is stable, thank you" Vlad appeared in ghost form, and fired me and Danny down.

"What are you doing here!" Danny flew up to his level.

"Well, I'm moving in. Due to an unfortunate incident with The Guys in White" Vlad glared at Danny as he smirked in victory. "My house has been destroyed. And I thought, 'what better place to move to then Amity?' With beloved Cali, and Darling Danny" He chirped.

"Dude.. You've got a man crush on two children. That's just pedophile" I chuckled.

"Then my real motive is that I'm running for mayor" Vlad glared at me.

"What! You can't do that!" Danny demanded.

"Yes I can, and as a politically standing figure, you can't just kick me out of town"

"Your not standing anywhere in politics yet" Danny growled then lunged at him for an attack.

Vlad vanished with a smirk. Danny hastily took a look around for him. And I watched in anticipation from below as hands landed on my shoulders.

"AH!" I shrilled at Vlad who had appeared behind me. I floated up and out of range to be across from Danny. Vlad came between us. He glanced at Danny, then he glanced at me with a smile.

"When you left me in Wisconsin your faith for everyone was shattered, but you trust young Daniel don't you?" I responded with a crossed scowl. "Hmm"

"Stop playing on people's emotions" Danny shouted.

"Cali" Vlad called. "Fight Young Daniel here, and don't hold back"

"I don't have to obey, my powers are under control" I retorted remembering our promise.

"Oh really" He breathed. "How's that aim?"

I growled and shot a ghost ray, completely missing him.

"Also, I could just call off the search" He looked to his cuticles as if the conversation was unimportant.

I could do no more than grit my teeth as I lunged forward to grapple with Danny. We collided hand to hand, forcing one another back and forth. Danny brought out ghost energy, so I did the same, as our hands burned with the overlap of power. I kicked him away and followed up with random kicks and punches. Danny ended up catching one fist so I went in for a punch with the other, which he also caught rather easily. I then fully unleashed my ghost energy, but this time our conflict was cold.

Danny froze our hands together. I didn't even know such power was possible. And at that Vlad let out one last sinister laugh before leaving. I stopped the assault, hanging my head in frustration.

"You can fool people as much as you want, but Vlad can play you like a fiddle" Danny broke the silence between us.

"And I hate it! It- It's his fault in the first place that my life is.." I stopped.

"You know.. Anger and aggravation is usually a reaction to hide sadness and pain." Danny's voice was low and crackly.

"Where'd ya hear that..?" I snapped, my voice went quiet and shaky.

"My sister" he said cracking an abrupt smile. Then we floated through the rooftop into my room and untransformed, hands still frozen together. "You… can cry if you want to.." He suggested, reluctant tears began to whelm up.

"What makes you think.." I stopped as he phased the ice off and pulled me forward.

Everything I held in came out in one hug. Danny stood stern and pet my hair for comfort. And I buried my face in his chest, and cried until I couldn't think, or remember.


	7. One Night

In the long run, Vlad won the vote of mayor, with underhanded tactics. And while he was getting situated in office I was growing my friendships with Sam, Danny, and Tucker. Sam and Tucker heard the bits and pieces of my story from Danny, and they accepted it. But Danny had second thoughts.

After some thought I decided it was best to tell them my whole back-story. Mostly of the events in Wisconsin that lead to the move and my ghost powers. carefully leaving out The Jewel of Ectocide. And anything involving Filou was hazy. They didn't question it, and I had a new found trust.

Today we decided to hit the movies, and by some standards the flick we chose was actually interesting. The movie had all a guy's preferences; violence, gore, horror, and some clever innuendos for humor. But of course, it was a tragedy, so everyone ended up dead, or mentally/emotionally scarred.

"Let's watch it again!" Tucker enthusiastically suggested.

"I would, but I don't wanna miss my curfew" Danny sleepily checked his watch.

"Sam, Cali? Any thoughts?" Tucker asked, we were off to the side with ears pressed to my phone listening.

"What is it?" Danny tried to listen as well.

"It's just my voicemail. My Dad kept calling me, over and over during the movie, but he left like five minute voicemails of nothing!" I ranted while erasing my voice messages.

"And every once in awhile you can hear a breath" Sam pointed out, and the guys shivered. I rolled my eyes and called Dad back. Tucker's stomach signaled the next thought, grumbling, making us feel at our own empty bellies.

"Before home, let's head over by the Nasty Burger" Tucker licked his lips.

"Sounds good, I told my parents we would have dinner at the movies, but popcorn isn't very filling" Sam added.

"I told my parents the same thing" Danny laughed.

"Uhm.. You guys go on ahead. My parents won't pick up, so I'm gonna go see what they want" I put my phone away with a wave and left.

"Hold up I'll escort you" Tucker courteously offered. "The streets can be dangerous at night"

"Well, your dangerous to all feminine kind" Sam followed up beside Tucker.

"You just can't see the gentlemen I truly am" Tucker acted high class.

"Geez, I'm not gonna go eat alone" Danny came up to my other side, defeated.

"Heh, then thanks for coming" I smiled, happy to have friends at my side.

"..Whatever" Danny folded his arms across his chest and stared straightforward.

* * *

The lights were off at home, and as the door swung open, we all cautiously advanced forward. The ghost sense went off between me and Danny, and our guard went up.

"Mom.. Dad?" I beckoned. Then to the slightest unearthly creak in the floor, we all recoiled to Danny's back.

"You girls…" Danny angrily whined in a whisper.

"Hey, I'm a dude" Tucker asserted his manliness in a low whisper.

"Not at the moment…" Danny ended the whispers, annoyed.

"Hey, what's.." Sam pointed to a shadow in the kitchen.

"Mom?" I asked following behind Sam.

From the height, I guessed Mom, but the build looked more like a mans. I nudged Sam forward, clinging to her shirt, to get to the light switch. The lights came on with a _flick_ and revealed Danny.

"Danny?" we asked, as we all took a doubled take to the Danny by the door and the ulterior Danny in the kitchen. I swung Sam into the guys, to face this fake, until I noticed Mom and Dad out cold on the floor.

"What did you do?" I quickly said, tripping over my words. The Danny we arrived with came up to my side, transformed, and ready to fight.

"They're only asleep" he deceitfully smiled. "I'm only here for you" He brooded over his icy powered hands. Then 'kitchen Danny' fired an ice ray at me and 'Danny we came with' blocked it by bringing up a shield.

"You're in my way!" He shouted at Danny.

"Who are you?" Danny stared, confused at him.

"Inviso-Bill, of course" He stuck his nose in the air.

"I'm so confused!" Tucker ate at his hat with a twitch.

"Obviously, Inviso-Bill Danny, is the fake" Sam indicated.

"But you all see the Same Danny right? Like, they're perfect twins?" I asked.

"Yep/yeah" They agreed. I took comfort in the fact that it wasn't Filou. Then I ran off, to my parents side.

"Cali!" Danny shouted, angry that I was running straight to Inviso-Bill.

"How obedient" Inviso-Bill's hand glowed and he charged me, I took evasive action and transformed to do a ghostly dive into the ground.

"Ha!" I phased out of the ground beside Mom and Dad. As Danny held down Inviso-Bill, I flew my parents to their bed, hoping they'd wake up thinking this was a dream.

"Ow!" I shouted as Inviso-Bill shot an ectoplasmic blast at me. To escape, I phased through to the roof. Danny and Danny followed of course.

"Danny!" I called, expecting the real one only to answer. They checked each other.

"Yeah?" They answered. Now the fake was playing along to confuse me.

"Danny?" I prepared an ectoplasmic blast. They both waved defensively, but answered differently.

"Me!" One shouted. "Don't! Your aim is terrible" The other outbursts.

"Now that just hurts.." I calmed my ectoplasmic ray. Then Inviso-bill shot Danny away and attacked me.

"What's the deal?" I asked fumingly as we struggled.

"My miss asked for me to make you pay"

"Sorry I don't get much of an allowance" I blasted him away. Then Danny took over the fight. It was a close contest, and the real Danny landed some strong blows, but it ended when real Danny was froze to the wall of a building.

"Danny!" Sam and Tucker yelled, we all rushed to his aide.

At that point I was caught and pinned harshly to the ground. And my arms were frozen in a second. I shivered at the cold as Inviso-Bill pressed his hand to my chest, freezing my body.

"Maybe she'll like you better as a trophy?" He cackled.

"B-before tha-that. Who's this miss?" I chilled.

"Paulina of course" He said a-matter-of-factly.

As we had our conversation, I could hear Sam and Tucker talking.

"Do something!" Sam pushed.

"Me!" Tucker yelled.

"You're the 'dude'!" she quoted his previous statement.

Without further delay the real Danny broke free. Sam and Tucker, too timid to act otherwise, pointed Danny to our struggle. Danny knocked him away to examine me. The pain reversed my transformation. Unable to act I stared voicelessly at him. Without a second thought, Danny left to beat Inviso-Bill down.

The ice encased my chest, and my heart itself was suffering, acting up and causing sporadic breathing.

"You're alright, you're okay, Cali. Cali, Come on, you're making me panic" Sam was picking the ice off my arms, trembling worse then me. I shouldn't have even dared to speak, but my mouth movement and absence of words, was taking Sam to the edge.

"Am- S- am. I-m f.. fine" I sacred myself with the frail words, but it got Sam to work post-haste, freeing my arms. She sat me up and dug the ice off my chest.

"He got away" Danny muffled then reverted his transformation. Tucker returned late, with the Fenton Thermos they left at Danny's.

"Danny, do something! She- the ice" Sam ran fingers through her hair. Danny phased the ice off and Sam leaned against me, then she summoned Danny and Tucker to do the same.

"She needs a doctor.. Not body heat" Danny mentioned.

Instantaneously, a devastating heat covered the cold. Sam, Danny, and Tucker, stood at attention feeling this too. Then it cooled to normal.

"Hot- hot!" Danny beat the spot down where he was in contact with me. Then he kneeled down and rubbed over my forehead. "Fever" he said aloud. I placed a hand at my chest, the ice didn't do a thing to me. It damaged the Jewel that lied just beneath my shirt. Basically, the Jewel is my heart.

"Doctor," Danny carried on the thought. I waved a hand to and fro to add in my suggestion.

"No way dude," Tucker fought.

When I got their attention I portrayed a sleeping person. Danny sighed understanding my message.

"Come on" Danny kneeled down, hands turned over on his back, to give me a piggyback ride.

Sam guided me to him, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, linking my arms together to not strangle him. He effortlessly rose up, gripping my thighs for support. I felt a twinge of blush creep across my face at having to press my chest, fully against his back. But, all that mattered now, was to calm down. The Jewel/my heart was working overtime. I fixed my chin comfortably on Danny's shoulder, and closed my eyes, Danny had sturdy broad shoulders.

Then Danny jerked. I reopened my eyes to see Danny, arching an eyebrow, as he peeked at me over his shoulder. At something like this, we would usually erupt into a childish fight, but I slept again. Danny released a long exhale, and fixed his grip on me.

* * *

I woke to see Sam and Tucker, huddled asleep in a pile of covers on my floor. It was still dark out, and I guessed that Danny was out searching for Inviso-Bill. I uncovered The Jewel of Ectocide from where it hid under my shirt. The jewel was glowing, I unclipped it from around my neck, and inspected it. Then I realized, the farther I pulled the jewel from myself, the less I hurt. Like the jewel was pulling at something from my core.

*The jewel should be giving me power..* I thought in relation to the pain. "Unless.. This is power" I contemplated.

I turned ghost to slip outside and found a secluded park. Then I kicked at the air hoping this power the jewel was trying to show me would come out already. Sweat trickled down my face, and the heat from my fever felt like it had my blood boiling. The ground didn't even feel cool as I settled down on it. I took the necklace off and extended it as far as my arm could stretch.

"Is it getting to you?" I heard a friendly voice ask.

"Yeah.." I got up calmly, but alarmed, to face Danny.

"The power might be overwhelming you, try accepting it, not fighting it" He advised. I took in a quivering breath, and let the warmth take over. Fire engulfed all around me, but the color was an unnatural purple, reminding me of the jewel's influence on my powers. A weight was lifted, and Danny smiled looking glad to help.

"Whatcha doin here anyway?" I coolly acted, swaying the jewel back and forth.

"Oh, a-haha, I saw you flying by and followed you here" He said with a blush, but his eyes followed every swing of the jewel.

"Really… Cause that's not what I believe" I charged a fiery punch at him. Danny sidestepped the attack and I tumbled to the ground.

"Filou" I growled.

"Don't be so giddy" he took the Jewel of Ectocide, causing me to suffocate again, and inspected it. "I morphed from your memory of love, and I made sure to disregard any parental figure, tell me.." He laughed and dropped the jewel to the ground, I clung to it for dear life. "..how have you grown with my jewel?" Then he took the famous form of a joker. I stood silent and tucked the jewel away.

"Should I peer at your memories then?" His one hand held my whole head, he tilted my gaze to look directly at his. His eye gleamed, and acting on a hunch, I tried to mimic that same power.

"Ack!" He held his eye, as I held mine.

*I was right, the jewel is giving me his power* I thought, blinking the pain out from our collision of ability.

"You grow more knowledgeable with each passing second" Filou blinked, hiding anger.

"Like you care. I'm only your puppet" I glowered at him, and gleamed into his mind again.

"Hmm? Much.. Much more than that" He snickered. Again he tilted my head, but this time I couldn't think to fight back. He held back my consciousness, to poke through my mind.

"Use that power more, I need it to grow, to flourish!" He clutched greedily at the strap of the necklace, then disappeared in the form of mist.

I fell to my knees and transformed back to my human half.

He was gone.

But I had something from his mind, -_only effective on ghosts. The Jewel needs a host once activated or else-._

"Cali?" My eyes unconsciously went to the source of the voice.

"Jazz?" I asked, still halfway not in my right mind. She helped me to a park bench.

*Jazz.. Danny's sister..* gradually I came back to my right mind.

"I've heard Danny talk about you" She stated.

"I've heard him talk about you too" I countered.

"Really?" Jazz skeptically asked.

"No.." I sighed, dejectedly.

".. Anyway, I've heard stories.. And was that.. Truly Filou?" She was rather panicky.

"Yeah?" I questionably answered, wondering what her response would be.

"But, how! He, he looked just like my little brother!" She freaked, and from the stories I've heard, she was remembering Dark Danny.

*Setting aside parents, the person she loves most is her brother?* I chilled at how overprotective she was. Then I explained how he morphs differently based on the mind's category of memory. Fear, happy, sad; she grasped the basic understanding pretty quickly.

"So, you're half ghost..?" She asked.

"Please do not tell me you didn't already know that" I swayed my arms to emphasize my surprise.

"Oh no, I know, sorry. It's just a little weird since this is the first time I've seen you transform" She apologized as we began a walk home.

"That's alright but, you can't tell anyone about meeting Filou" I pressured.

"Why not?" She asked, as she held some books from a recent library visit.

"You're studying psychology, right? I think you should understand 'why not'" I surmised.

"Okay, but, you understand it's **my** secret now too? You better tell Danny about this sooner or later" She demanded.


	8. Antics

I flew home and found Sam searching my covers. Tucker was still snoozing.

"Sam?" I asked.

"Cali? Where were you?" Sam threw the covers down.

"Chilling.. At the park" I rubbed my upper arm.

"Geez, you scared me. You know you were out cold all day today? Then you just disappear-"

"All day? Today.. Please tell me it's still Saturday…" I begged.

"..It's, Sunday night?" She smiled apologetically. I fell back onto my bed in disbelief. "Listen, we've been on guard duty in case that Inviso-Bill tried something, Danny still hasn't found him."

"Oh.. Thank you" I said sincerely.

Sam and me ended up sharing a bed, since it was cruel to sleep next to Tuckers snoring, and she dozed off pretty fast. Alternatively, I was deep in thought.

Filou could have been wrong, I mean, I haven't have any interest in love since I found out I was going to die. To be honest, there's no time for silly stuff like that. It is true, though, that we carry some connection through our powers, and Vlad, and ghosts. But that doesn't mean anything other then the fact that we can share some secrets. Like when I cried, Danny kept that our secret, I hope. And then there's Danny, he doesn't see me as anything but a nuisance. Why should I see him differently? _Treat others the way you want to be treated_, right?

Sam stirred in her sleep, causing me to jolt out of my mind. I watched her face until I was sure she was still asleep. Then started a new subject.

That heat was why we reunited. I clapped my hands together then slowly pulled apart to reveal a discolored flame. My hand below, held the flame. And the hand above controlled how strong the flame was. If I had used this correctly on Filou, for sure I would have won. I rubbed my hands together, dispersing the fire, and tried to sleep.

Filou, when we first met, he held the jewel.. It wasn't hurting him. Because it's apart of him? Then, what happens when the jewel gives me enough of his power? Will I be able to get rid of it?

* * *

We took off for school the next day after some breakfast and caught up with Danny.

"I haven't found one clue on this impersonator, not to mention I'm grounded for being out past curfew, thanks to you" Danny accused me.

"I didn't ask you to.. And there is too a clue. He said Paulina sent him" I defended.

"Now your just messing with me" He glared.

"Am not. He- oh" I stopped the fight, and recalled the reason for my illness.

"Oh?" Tucker quoted me questioningly.

"That is.." I gestured to Sam, she shrugged, she didn't know what I was talking about. "Last night, I-" I couldn't come up with the proper wording. "Ah, just check it"

I clapped my palms together. Everyone closed in a circle around me, I pulled my hands a foot apart from each other and channeled heat to the area between them and unveiled a petite flame. I grew the fire by pulling further away, then shrunk it down to nothing, to rub it out.

"That didn't burn?" Sam inspected the palms of my unscathed hands.

"No, and the best part is, I'm my own straitener!" I grinned.

"Well, Danny can ice his own tea" Tucker seemed to gloat.

"How'd you get that power anyway? I've only seen dragons use fire, and it's purple?" Danny pushed past Tucker, ignoring his comment.

"Donno.. But I'll show you how to use fire if you show me how to use ice" I offered.

"It's a power on the inside, you can't teach it" Danny guessed.

"First time for everything" I put fire on Danny's hand. Danny's free hand gripped the wrist of the hand holding the fire as he focused power, but the fire dissipated and mutated into un-melting black flaming ice.

"There, see, you did something" I let go of my hold on the flame.

"Ah" Danny gasped as it shattered on the ground "It.. stings"

"Really?" I exasperated. "Give me your ice thingy" I requested as he built up ice and handed it off. It was engulfed in my fire, and recreated the black ice.

"Maybe because fire melts ice? That's why it hurts Danny and not Cali" Sam suggested in terms of elements.

"But ice melts to water, and that puts out fire" Tucker put in.

"All in all, it makes no sense" Danny shoved his hands in his pockets.

* * *

"How did you do on the test?" Danny croaked lugging himself through the lunch line.

"In English? Aced it" Tucker guaranteed.

"Ugh, I donno" Sam rubbed her temples. "At worst I scraped by with the lowest passing grade"

"Do you remember number one, what's 'odious' mean?" I asked. They stared me down as if I couldn't be serious.

"So, that's me and Cali after school tomorrow for retesting?" Danny received thoughtful nods.

"Hey, who says I failed!" I slammed my tray noisily on our table as we sat down.

"The definition of odious was written on the study guide Lancer left on his wall" Tucker explained.

"Oooh" I nibbled at my apple.

Looking over my tray, I realized I wasn't paying attention to what I grabbed in line. I held up a potion side of lettuce "Trade, anyone?"

"I will" Sam held up three plump grapes.

"Sold" we traded.

Danny swiftly stole one grape and thoughtfully chewed it in his mouth.

"Dude!" I snatched his pudding in revenge.

"Hey!" He took my apple sauce. So I swiped his carrots, he took my milk. And so on, and so forth, until we had each others trays completely. This wasn't winning me the battle, thus, I flicked his nose. He winced and retreated, consoling his nostrils.

"Heey, I call foul" He flicked in-between my eyes. I felt myself go out of focus.

"Then foul all you want. Lunch has no rules" I flicked him again. And we converted to a flick war.

"Stop acting like toddlers! And eat. Or at least go outside, people are staring.." Sam splashed water droplets at us from her cup, then switched our trays back, taking in the civilians prying eyes shyly.

"Anyway.." Tucker broke the tense situation. "What's everyone's plan for Halloween?"

*Oh yeah, today's Halloween* I thought.

"I was going to hang with you guys and trick or treat, but Jazz want's me to help her do a magic show for this Halloween party her therapy group is having" Danny said as he ate.

"And my parents want me home, safe from any criminals that wander this night for unsuspecting children" Sam slouched in irritation, quoting her parents exact words.

"The only criminals are your folks. No kid should have as tight a leash as you on the greatest candy holiday of the year" Tucker dreamily imagined candy, piled high, over his head. "That leaves just you and me then" Tucker turned to me. Danny's eyes followed what we said after that combination of words.

"I'll ask my parents, if they agree, I have to be back by twelve midnight"

"Yes!" He swung an elbow back in victory.

"Should we try and sneak you out?" I asked Sam, Tucker pleaded for her to answer no.

"No, if I ask correctly, they'll agree" She smirked directly to Tucker who looked displeased.

"K.O." I mouthed under my breathe. "And Danny?" I asked.

"What?" He asked returning from thought.

"Halloween? Is your sister's gig gonna take up your whole night or what?" I swung a spoonful of pudding into my mouth.

"Nah, I'll be through with it before seven" He counted finger-by-finger. "Yeah, seven"

"Great! So we'll all meet up at the park by eight?" Sam asked as the bell made us proceed back to class. We returned her question with happy nods.

"What are you gonna be?" I asked Danny with an elbow nudge .

"What about you?" he nudged back harder.

"That's a surprise"

"Then so is mine" He smirked with accomplishment.

"I bet when you come up at eight, you're going to be wearing some ripped off version of a bad guy from a famous horror flick" I leaned in to see his eyes jump from the lockers to me and back.

"N-not a bad guess. But your completely wrong"

"What else could you possibly imagine up?"

"I'm going to be the good guy from a famous horror flick" Danny was proud at his quick response, until I laughed and he realized, he answered the question earlier that was suppose to be a surprise. "That was a lie, I'm gonna show up dressed.. In.. a way that will completely shock you" I couldn't help the laughter enough to pay attention, so he tripped me. I took four hops forward to regain my balance. He took a few laughs, then unexplainably disappeared into the ground.

"Danny?" I asked.

"What just happened?" Sam and Tucker stopped from a few feet away.

"Uh.. He.. Left? Into the ground" I pointed down. "… Go to class. The bell's gonna ring soon so, I'll see what he's up to" I said and dived into the ground.

What hid below was a steamy generator room. Everything was rusty, and looked like it would fall apart.

"Hey!" An ectoplasmic ray flashed by from behind, missing me. I stared down my attacker. She was a well-figured woman, dressed like a belly-dancer. "Who are you?" She calmed and took an inquisitive look at me.

"Cali Knight. You?" I drifted down to see she was a ghost. Her eyebrow raised, emitting an all knowing aura.

"I am Desiree, what is your wish?"

"Wish? What are you a fairy?"

"More along the lines of a genie" She swam through the air enchanting a green vapor around me. I felt my senses falling pray to the spell she was casting. But I regained my grip from her as the bell rang.

"Where's.. Have you seen a boy pass through here? Shaggy black hair, baggy clothes" I groggily described.

"That's not anyone I've ever seen" She smiled and I gave her one last look before flying away. "There's not one thing you wish for?" She caught me. A blanket of excitement silently swept over me. _A genie_. Could she solve my problem?

"Anything? I can wish for anything?" I skeptically asked.

"Anything your heart desires" I could tell her honey-laced lemon words wasn't the right road to take. But maybe I could stray from my path, and maybe this was a shortcut. I revealed The Jewel of Ectocide and dangled it between her eyes.

"I wish this would disappear" My unwavering expression was a surprise to her. Desiree twirled a hand through the air releasing a green vapor that enclosed the jewel. But that green changed to pink and the jewel inhaled the vapor. Dark and unnerving thoughts clouded my brain. Then I took a draining shock from the jewel, as if it was scolding me, and Desiree placed the palm of her hand flat to my chest.

"I've heard stories of the new half ghost" She pulled away. "The power controlling you is too powerful for me to handle. Regretfully, I must decline your wish"

I hid the jewel away. "I should go, I'm not suppose to associate with ghosts anyway…" I sighed, this jewel only brings disappointment.

"Well, there is something more you want" she persisted. "Something I can do?" I was torn three ways between Lancer calling my parents for not attending class, what Desiree can offer, and wherever Danny was loitering around at. But, temptation can nag all it wants, all that matters are the consequences.

"Fine" I held up two fingers. "If he wasn't already, I wish Danny was back in class" I folded my ring finger. "and that I wasn't in trouble for skipping" I folded my pinky.

"So you have wished it and so it shall it be" She said nearly laughing with a sway of the hand, and a wisp of smoke, she was gone.

That ghost was too good to be true. It was as it nothing happened. I was still in the basement, but no one was around. Or.. Maybe not..

"My sensors indicated a ghost was nearby. But any ghost would be foolish to mess with me on my own turf" Valerie, the girl Danny warned me to avoid, wielded a fairly oversized weapon that emitted charging noises. And the lady had no hesitations on pulling that trigger.

"Yo" I waved and uneasily stretched.

"Who are you?" She spat.

"Knight" I said just below a whisper "Cali Knight.. But I'm on your side"

"Liar. All ghosts are 100% evil!"

"..Scorned, are you?" I flew back when her weapon shot in my direction.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Don't shoot!" I retreated when Valerie backed me to the corner.

"Give me five reasons why I shouldn't take you down right now"

"Were in school, this meeting was an accident, it's illegal to kill, and I'm not a ghost?" That was more of a suggestion then a statement. Valerie Fired as a figure appeared in front of me.

"Danny!" I shouted as the flare outlined his body when he jumped between me and Valerie's weapon. "Danny?" He faced me with wary eyes. Whatever Valerie shot, badly affected him, at that, he plummeted to the tiled floor. I dived faster then he fell to catch him, while Valerie readied her next fire.

"Now I'm intrigued. You know the ghost boy. But, by the way he protected you, I'd guess you two are closer then any other run-of-the-mill-ghosts" she chuckled. "Having someone protect you is also a sign of weakness"

I examined Danny's face, definitely out cold, then I sneered at Valerie.

"What are you going to do?" She asked in a low whisper, more interested then taunting.

"The thing about battles is, you can fight, or you can fly" I phased through the ground as Danny inevitably reverted.

I phased into the nurses office and pulled the curtains around the patients bed to hide sleeping Danny.

*He came just in time to save me, almost too conveniently. He must have been watching.. But for how long?*


	9. Barking At The Moon

[Reader's POV]

Night darkened the peaceful city as children from all over Amity Park decided to come out and find a small treasure called candy. As this went on, Danny and friends waited in the park for Cali to come out and join them in the adventures. Sadly, Danny's big sister, Jazz, also accompanied them.

"Contrary to our usual Tucker, who prefers the colors of a stoplight. We see a boy in a typical white sheet. Showing that he cares more about candy then creativity" Jazz classified Tucker's costume.

"No lies there" Tucker admitted.

"And Sam, who put thought into her garb. Appealing to her creative side, on how she wants girls to envy what she wears as she dresses like a witch" Jazz complemented Sam.

"Simply making my statement," Sam confidently grinned.

"Then my little bro… who wanted to scare the poor children wandering this cold dark night" Jazz took a hand to her chin as she studied Danny's torn and fake blooded costume.

"You make me sound so sinister… I was just going to wear whatever but.."

"But Cali tempted his competitive side" Sam chuckled.

"A-anyway! What's taking her!" Danny tapped his foot in aggravation.

"Dude, loosen up. You act like she's so annoying but it's obvious you've got a soft spot for her" Tucker whispered.

"And from what I can tell, we're the first good friends she's had" Sam consulted.

"Yeah yeah.. I got that but, you know. It's the first time I've met someone who's like me, aside from my cousin and Vlad, she's a regular high schooler, I just wish she was more straightforward." Danny sighed.

"Straightforward?" Sam questioned. "About what?"

"Nothing!" Danny defensively stuck his hands up as Sam and Tucker turned to talk to Jazz.

*What was that about anyway?* Danny thought, scratching the back of his neck.

* * *

[Flashback]

"Whoa!" Danny transformed as someone pulled him through the schools floor. "You!" Danny floated in front of Inviso-Bill.

"Ah, darn. I grabbed the wrong kid," He growled.

"What do you-" Danny remembered the fight two day ago and snapped "Why are you after Cali!"

"I was ordered to go after her, but you're just as annoying!" Inviso-Bill gripped Danny's neck and shoved him to the ground behind the generators.

"My my, I didn't expect to see that girl's toy here" Desiree came from the vents by a cloud of smoke.

"Toy? This impersonator? What girl!"

"Not that it really matter-" Cali Phased in and caught the corner of her eye "Hey!" caught off guard, Desiree panicked and shot an ectoplasmic ray. "Who're you?" she calmed.

"Darn it" Danny struggled with Inviso-Bill as they flew threw the wall to go outside. "You're getting on my nerves!" Danny tossed Inviso-Bill into the air with a ghost ray then caught him in the Thermos. "Glad he's gone" Danny relieved. "For some reason it's disappointing to think I was caught so easily.. And that I was annoying. I'm not like that am I?" felling insecure Danny, then proceeded to bite his shirt.

*But, who would wish for another me* Danny thought as Cali's voice rang in his mind. "Paulina.." He dully smiled. "Cali!" Danny cracked and phased back inside. But, Danny hesitated at the atmosphere between them and carefully hid behind a generator. *Wait, what would Cali wish for?* Danny curiously thought.

"I wish this would disappear" Cali stated. Danny peaked around the corner holding his breath. Cali held out an expensive looking necklace to Desiree's face. Desiree waved her hands as if she was dancing, but instead of her magic working instantly, it lingered. Cali's eyes widened as the green magic turned pink for the jewel to absorb. Then in return, the jewel seemed to cause Cali an equal amount of pain to Desiree's power.

*What is that!* Danny jumped.

Desiree then approached Cali and comforted her, also saying "the power controlling you is too powerful for me to handle"

*That jewel is a power?* Danny thought as Cali slipped the jewel around her neck and under her suit. *Has she always worn that? And when did she get it.. What does it do? Arg!* Danny scratched his head all over in frustration. *I'll get Cali to-* Danny's thoughts were interrupted as he was teleported back into class.

"I'll get the measuring cups" Sam's voice echoed into the place Danny was crammed into. The door opened and Sam stared back at Danny who was crammed into the cabinet. She closed it. Opened it again, and Danny was gone, along with the reappearance of the measuring cups.

Danny phased into the generator room with a shock to see Valerie cornering Cali. Valerie's weapon charged and there wasn't much time to think. He jumped in front to protect Cali, then checked back to see that she was scared, but okay as he passed out from the pain.

[Real Time, Cali's POV]

When I managed to get my costume on, it was already late to meet everyone at the park. I slipped into my ghost form and flew out, invisibly sneaking by any unwanted attention. When I arrived, everyone was tired of waiting, so I decided to scare them.

"Boo!" I yelled. All but Danny was thrown into a fright.

"Geez, Cali" Sam held her heart. I poked Danny's forehead, he was the only one not moving.

"What.. Don't tell me you sensed me coming?" I asked.

"I did.." He chilled, holding his shoulders.

"You know, I've noticed that I can't sense you or Vlad unless you're in ghost mode, or using ghost powers"

"I've noticed that with my sense too" Danny pondered.

"Pfft!" I unleashed the full extent of my laughter after seeing Danny's over designed costume. Tucker and Sam joined me as the happiness became contagious, Danny blushed.

"Guys!" Danny pleaded. "Besides, what are you, Cali?" Danny flipped the attention, observing me up and down.

"Can't guess?" I asked. "I'm a cop!" I enthusiastically stuck a pose while pulling out my water gun.

"Heh" Everyone paused a moment before bursting into a fit of laughs.

"At least I'm a normal person, Danny over here is covered in fake blood!" I pointed to the stains covering almost every part of Danny skin. He pulled out a packet of fake blood and retorted.

"It was on sale!" He squeezed the packet hard enough for it to explode on my face. "Uh.." He grinned.

"You jerk!" I yelled, chasing him with fire.

"Uh, hello~!" Sam and Tucker knocked on our heads. "Treat or treat?" Sam dragged me away, as Tucker took Danny.

"Hi Cali!" Jazz sweetly greeted.

"J-Jazz.. Whatcha doin here?" I fidgeted.

"Jazz tagging along was the only way my parents would suspend me from being grounded" Danny bitterly remembered his parents words.

"And I'm gonna protect ya'll from any spooks that decide to come out tonight!" She confidently checked her arsenal of ghost fighting gear, provided by Fenton Works.

"We'd feel safer if you did that from a **far** distance" Danny regarded Jazz as a nuisance.

"Jazz can't be that bad Danny" I chuckled remembering the horror stories they've told me from sleepovers. "Besides, it's a holiday. And so far our greatest threat today was the box ghost"

"Just drown yourself in the candy and forget your worries" Tucker squirmed in excitement.

* * *

The candy we got ranged from gum drops to full chocolate bars.

"This year's feast is gonna be great!" Tucker eagerly counted his candy.

"To be honest, I thought you all were a little old to be trick or treating" Jazz wondered.

"Maybe.. But we're never to old to enjoy candy" Danny grinned. The conversation distracted me enough for me to bump into a tall man.

"Ow" I held my nose. "Sorry" the man turned around.

"Come Cali, this thing doesn't need any forgiveness" Sam pulled me back and away from Vlad.

"Thing? Why I-" Vlad angrily fought until we all readied for battle. "Calm, calm" he waved his hands. "As mayor, I would hate to cause any unhappiness to my people.. My dear Camillia, what are you suppose to be?" He leaned in confused.

"A cop?" I remembered the blood. "A dirty cop"

"Now that you know that you can leave" Danny confronted him.

"Cute.." He snickered. "On a side note, Cali I have some things to discuss about Fil-" I silenced him with a shot from my water gun.

"I'd rather not talk about that here" I nervously laughed before Jazz shot a frustrated look at me. "Or we could talk now.." I sighed. "The night before I, uhm ran into Filou"

"You met him!" Sam exclaimed.

"Did he hurt you?" Tucker grabbed my hand.

"Nah, he just- umm" I looked at Danny who was just as interested as everyone else.

"From what I saw he was actually helping Cali control that weird fire. But he got close to her disguised as you" Jazz interjected, signaling out Danny.

"What! how!" Danny commanded.

"Filou has a frightening power where he can change into anyone from your memory" Vlad poked my forehead.

"For example you love and care for your mother. He'll take that memory and change into your mom" I explained as I cleaned the spot he touched on my forehead.

"Make's sense I guess" Tucker shrugged.

"Weird fire?" Vlad repeated as a question. I rubbed my thumb and index finger together then flicked up to create a discolored flame on the tip of my finger.

"Remarkable!" He shouted.

"Filou also said something about this" Jazz tugged at my necklace causing me to jerk away.

"Uh" I grinned as they questioned my nervousness.

"What was that?" Sam inspected closer as I hid the jewel away.

"Just an old family jewel" I Pulled it out a little for them to see.

"Looks expensive" Tucker observed. "But of course, nothing's too good for you" Tucker flirted as Jazz raised an eyebrow.

"He was just teasing saying he'd steal it cause it looked important" I said and Jazz agreed, meaning she didn't hear the whole conversation between me and Filou.

"Gyaaaa!" Screams reached our ears from down the street.

"And that's my cue to leave" Vlad said as he nervously left. We ran past the screaming crowd to find candy monsters destroying someone's yard.

"Don't worry, I got this" Tucker courageously stepped forward with eating utensils in hand.

"No, I got this" Jazz moved in front firing a laser everywhere without aiming.

"Just go hide somewhere!" Danny yelled as he took my hand and we turned ghost to face the threat.

"Come to join in on the fun?" Desiree crept from the shadows.

"No, I was told not to accept candy from strangers!" Danny fired a ghost ray at her.

Desiree easily avoided Danny's attacks, so I flew in to kick her. She nonchalantly swatted me down and I phased into the ground, sneaking up from behind to hold her back. "Danny now!"

He froze her with ice. Desiree fell to the ground, shattering free from her icicle as she shivered in cold.

"Tucker the thermos!" Danny yelled.

"I got it!" Sam shouted. Tucker ran ahead stealing the Thermos from Sam.

"No, I got it!" Tucker happily ran up, but they were both hit back by Desiree.

"It's gonna take more then that to defeat my magic" Desiree growled.

"We don't have to take you down" I closed in to her face as my eye glowed with Filou's mind power, "We just have to catch you" as I spoke I pushed back her consciousness, causing her to fall. I turned to get the Thermos, but she woke up, caught my arm and threw me to the ground.

"What was that about?" Danny picked me up.

"I guess I surprised her" I smiled.

"Yeah.." Danny quickly grabbed the Thermos and caught Desiree by the tail, spun her, then threw her into the air with an ectoplasmic ray. "Whoa, dizzy" Danny shook the stars out of his eyes, trying to aim the Thermos, as I was off to the side juggling a ball of fire.

"You dare to touch me again!" Desiree grew angrier, and showered us with ghost rays.

"Catch!" I tossed the fire ball at Desiree, she unquestionable caught it as tears grew in her eyes from the burn.

"Insolent women!" She shouted, rushing at me for an attack. "aaAHHHH" Desiree screamed as Danny trapped her away in his soup can.

"Can we go home?" Sam and Tucker lazily wobbled forward.

"Where's Jazz?" I asked.

"Preseeennt" Jazz fell out of some greenery.

"You okay?" Danny noticed a funny tone in her voice.

"Nothin's wrong.. But, I havta ask, whasis do?" Jazz fired off her wrist ray, slicing off a few of Danny's hairs. "Ooooh" she murmured before passing out. Danny tapped her forehead, turned around half-shocked and concluded that she was sick.

"I'll fly her home, you guys.. Clean up?" I grinned as they loathed over becoming the clean up crew on the shattered remains of someone's Halloween decorations.

I took Jazz in my arms and made my way to Fenton Works.

"Not much of a fighter are you?" Plasmius appeared by my side in flight.

"You watched me!" I calmed then retorted "I'm taking a mental note to add 'stalker' on your list of un-convicted felonies"

"There's a list?" He asked.

"Child endangerment is at the top so far"

"Are you going to arrest me officer?" He joked at my costume.

"Don't make me shoot you again" I reminded him of my water gun.

"No need.. In other news, what I truly wanted to say before was that my ghost portal is now fully functional" He went from serious to cheery, "You can come after school like old time's and search for Filou" He smiled.

"Yuck. Even though I'd rather not be around you, it'll be better then just sitting around and waiting for my story to end.. Wait, if you didn't have a portal all this time, what have you been doing?"

"It's a pain, but I've been preoccupying that mindless Jack Fenton's portal" he sulked.

"And yet, no luck" we landed at Fenton Works to turn human. "Ok, you can leave now" I shooed him away.

"Actually I'd like to stay and see-" The door to Danny's house slammed open with Mister and Misses Fenton jumping into action.

"Maddie~" Vlad dreamily stared at Mrs. Fenton.

"Odd, the radar said a ghost was here" Mr. Fenton checked his ghost scanner.

"Eww, adult love" I gagged. "And she's married" I turned to Vlad "I'm pretty sure that breaks some other law too"

"Vladdy!" Mr. Fenton enthusiastically took Vlad in his arms causing me to chuckle. "It's nice to see a man of your status visiting the common folk" he smiled.

"hmm, yes. Just doing my rounds" Vlad pulled away to straighten his clothes.

"JAZZ!" Mrs. Fenton ran to me and checked her daughter.

"She caught a fever," I said.

"Who're you?" Mr. Fenton threateningly asked.

"I'm Danny's friend!" I flinched. "Danny had to do something, so I decided to bring her home"

"Are you okay?" Mrs. Fenton worried as se saw the blood stain on my face.

"Don't worry, it's fake" I said as we took Jazz to her room.

"You're pretty strong for a girl. What was your name again?" Mr. Fenton complemented as he pat my back with his huge arm, sending me to the floor.

"Gee, thanks" I stood up popping my spine. "Sorry, we've never been properly introduced, even though I moved in about a month and a half ago. I'm Cali Nought" I stopped smiling when they gasped.

"You're Cali!" Mrs. Fenton squealed.

"Uhm" I stepped back wondering if this was a bad thing.

"Danny's told us a lot about you" Mr. Fenton ruffled my hair.

"R-really? First Jazz now you guys. I'm starting to wonder if I've become some sort of virus"

"And while were talking about viruses, what are you still doing here?" Mrs. Fenton confronted Vlad.

"I was just accompanying darling Cali" Vlad popped over to my side.

"I don't know this old man" I sped out of the room. "I wonder how Danny's doing?" I entered the restroom and found a towel, wet it, then returned to Jazz. Vlad was gone and Mrs. Fenton was left watching over Jazz.

"Here's a towel" I placed the wet towel on Jazz's forehead.

"Why, thank you sweetie" Mrs. Fenton smiled.

"No problem. I'll be going then"

"Oh, maybe you should wait until Danny comes back, so he could walk you home. It is kind of late.." She checked the clock, twenty till midnight.

"Then I'll be in Danny's room.." I complied with Mrs. Fenton and shut myself away in Danny's room. "Typical.." I looked upon the messy room of a fourteen-year-old boy. "But then again, not everyone has to deal with ghosts" I said as set my candy bag aside to throw dirty laundry into a hamper. "Whoa, wait a sec" I stopped as I started picking up trash. "This is _Danny's _room. It'll be dirty again in no time" I sighed and relaxed on his bed.

* * *

A computer sound registered in my brain, forcing me to sit up and see what it was. Danny was seated at his computer searching the web.

*Danny's back, which means I fell asleep?* I thought for a second and tried to remember my dream, but failed. I could only remember closing my eyes for a second, and apparently dozing off.

"Good morning" Danny chipperly greeted, pulling away from his computer to greet me.

"Morning! What time is it!" I yelled. He tumbled onto the floor laughing. I realized he was still in his costume then put two and two together.

"Save that for April Fools!" I grumbled and threw a pillow at him.

"Aheheh, my mom told me you were up here, and I couldn't resist" Danny got up and headed out the door. "Come on, we gotta hurry before your mom gets mad." he indicated the time, five till midnight.

I snatched my bag and followed him out.

"Feel free to come back" Mrs. Fenton called as we headed out.

"Yeah, we still haven't had a meaningful chat, about ghosts" Mr. Fenton paused for a satisfying smirk on the topic of ghosts.

"Got it" I nodded and waved goodbye. "Your family's nice" I smiled, Danny hid his face behind a hand and sighed.

"Thanks, your family's nice too. But, to be honest, your mom scares me.."

"Yeah.. She scares all my friends" I grinned, he chuckled on the obvious fact. "It wasn't always 'nice' with me and my parents, but I managed to fix things on my trip over here." I sat at the steps going up to my home.

"All that really matters is now. If things were bad, don't think about the past, or else you'll get stuck there" he created little snowflakes from his hand, I caught a few as they fell in front of me.

"I feel like I'm catching dandruff"

"Don't put images in my head" he stopped causing me to laugh.

"Thanks" I dusted my self off. "Night"

"Night" he smiled back at me.


	10. Dental Scare

Living your worst nightmare is rare. But, that depends on what your scared of. For the dark, there's the sanctuary of light. For monsters, there's reality. Fear mostly consists of not knowing, and imagination. But knowing what you fear, and being unable to escape is the scariest of all. Pain is my fear, and screams that forebode it makes waiting torturous. I explain this because today's prison is the dentists office.

"Mom" I pleaded, scrapping my nails on the edge of a plastic seat.

"No" she asserted, "it costs money to get your teeth fixed, and now that your adult teeth are in-"

"Nuh-uh" I wiggled a canine tooth in the front, "This one's totally a baby"

"How on earth did you manage to keep that?"

"Careful chewing, besides, it's only _one_ cavity"

"**Was** one. At that last check up they said you grew three more"

"That's nice… And why am I here?" Danny asked as he walked in to sit next to me.

"Yeah, why are you taking more prisoners!" I shouted.

She stood, and headed out the door, "I called him here so you wouldn't leave when I left for work"

"Danny's one of my best friend's. He'll let me leave as soon as you shut that door" I confidently gloated with Danny agreeing. Mom handed him a ten dollar bill.

"Say hello to your new gatekeeper" Danny smiled.

"Hmph" I slumped over in my chair. Danny sat back and happily read a magazine.

The waiting room seems to always be eerie. Across the way, cookies rested upon the countertop. I reached for them, but Danny swatted me away.

"Heey" I grew annoyed.

"No sweets" He said as he straightened his ten dollar bill.

"Then why would they have cookies in a dental office"

"So you'll come back" the dentist caught me by the arm. From behind him a sad little boy holding his swollen jaw crept away with his mother.

Mentally I was screaming, physically I was being dragged behind closed doors.

"Sorry about this" Danny waved me off.

* * *

"We'll send your mom the bill" the dentist smiled, sending me off.

*I can't feel it, I can't believe all my cavities were on one side.* I sobbed and nursed my right cheek.

"Ouch, what happened to you?" Sam rode her scooter to us.

"I gaout mui cav-vai…" Drool drooped down my chin and I stuffed another napkin in my mouth.

"Hold up.." Sam searched her bag and pulled out a dry erase board and marker.

"She got some cavity's fixed" Danny informed.

"That bites"

I wrote, _you have no idea._

"Well, I was gonna go check out the new store down the street if you wanna come?" She pointed to a gathering crowd a couple of stores down.

"Sure" Danny said, and I decided to follow.

"Samples, free samples!" an enthusiastic lady handed out bubble gum galore as we entered the new store 'Gembersnaps'

"Gembersnaps Gum?" Sam caught a piece and ate it. "Delicious!" she smiled and ate more, which is rare. I grabbed a couple of pieces and stared longingly at them. Everyone all around looked like it was irresistible. Then Sam swallowed the gum.

_You're now suppose it eat it!_, I wrote.

"Whoops, I guess you're right" she absentmindedly said and bought more gum.

"Yuck!" Danny spit the gum out with disgust. "Sam, I know you're a strict Ultra-Recyclo-Vegetarian, but this is worst then dirt" Danny grabbed her arm, but she pulled away.

_I think we should leave_, I put the writing in her face, but she ignored me and wandered absently about.

_Sam?_, I wrote as I followed her. The store filled with people that shoved and pushed Danny and me out the doors.

_Hey!_, I angrily wrote.

"Cali!" Tucker jumped at me for a hug, but Danny pushed him away.

"Tucker, what are you doing?" Danny asked.

"Socializing.. Oouu, is that the new gum!" Tucker grabbed it from my hands.

_don't-_, I couldn't finish writing so I slapped the gum out of his hand.

"If you wanted it to yourself you could've said something" he rubbed his hand.

"Tucker, there's something weird with the gum" Danny explained, with the mindless gum chewing people growing in numbers.

_And it's nasty_, I added in.

"Danny, most of the things we eat can't even be classified in the main food groups. Besides, I heard this stuff was good" he chomped down on a piece, then ran inside for more. Danny slapped his face in disbelief.

"Come on, my dad's got something to analyze this stuff" Danny grabbed my hand, and we walked to Fenton Works.

_Why don't we just check out the store?_, I asked.

"You didn't notice? We were inside a ghost shield. I think it'll be smarter to see what's inside this gum before we investigate the place"

_And Sam and Tucker?_, I questioned.

"Sam's rich.. And Tucker doesn't need the money anyway" He shrugged.

When we reached Fenton Works the numbing was gone and I could speak normally again. I counted each step after that, ten up the steps, twenty-three to the basement, and two to run into Danny's parents.

"Danny…" Mr. Fenton glared, "you know you're not suppose to bring people into the lab"

"Cali!" Mrs. Fenton shouted then ran up. She stopped midway and nudged her husband. "Jack, they're holding hands" she whispered with compressed excitement. Danny blushed and I pulled away.

"Aww," her smile widened. "We'll be upstairs if you need us" She grabbed Mr. Fenton and skipped out of the room. Danny smiled.

"That was-"

"Just do what ya gotta do" I interrupted.

"Right" he tossed the gum into a scanner then moved to the computer.

"Foreign contaminant" The machine announced in a feminine voice, "ghost energy detected, calculating… calculating…"

"What's it doing?" I asked.

"It's digging in the database to match a ghost to this energy"

"How exactly?"

"I managed to get a sample of everyone's unique Ecto-Signature in the ghost zone, then I stored it in here"

"All the ghosts!" I asked in amazement.

"Well, most of them.. I didn't get the ghost kings, mostly I have the signature of ghosts that frequently visit and plague the town"

"Calculation complete, match discovered. Entry five: Ember McLain," the machine pulled up Ember's profile.

"Ember? How did she manage to steal the Fenton ghost shield again?" He spoke in thought.

"Okay, so we know now, can we go?"

"Hold on" Danny pulled open a drawer and hooked on some ear phones."This is hardly the time for tunes" I crossed my arms.

"Not music, these Fenton phones filter out ghost noises. Ember can get strong enough to effect us, but we should be in the clear with these" he hooked some on my ears.

Chills jumped up our spines as a gasp could be heard from upstairs."Your parents are watching us" I whispered.

"I think they're expecting us to do something.. I mean, why else would she think we wanted to be alone," he whispered back.

"That's embarrassing, doesn't she know we're **just **friends," I complained with a blush creeping on my face, "Your parents are way too nosey"

"Then what should we do?" He whispered.

"You make it sound like there's no other way out," I growled, "I'll go first.." I sighed, "Meet me back at Gembersnaps shop." I glanced at his parents then kissed him on the cheek. "Bye" I waved and ran all the way until I got home.

"It's a good thing our houses are a block away or I would be really out of breath" I thought in relation to the distance I ran.

* * *

We rendezvoused outside Gembersnaps at sunset. Danny brought a packed and ready thermos, then we checked our Fenton Phones.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready" I confirmed.

We jumped inside the Ghost shield.

"Child's play" I chuckled. We converted to ghost mode and phased inside.

"Sorry" A woman's voice whispered from the dark. "We don't allow thieves in this store" Spectra came forward and sent a panther ghost on Danny.

"Danny!" I shouted. "Please don't miss" I tossed a fire ball at the panther.

"Yeouch! Geez hot!" The panther turned into Bertrand.

"Oh, man. I didn't know there were two of you" Spectra said.

"Hmph" I jumped into the air and tried to kick her. She caught my foot and held me upside-down to laugh in my face.

"You're just a little ghost girl" she smiled.

"Well, you're just an old hag" I spat back with an ectoplasmic blast, on release I reunited with Danny.

"Penelope Spectra and the assistant Bertrand," I stated to Danny, "You told me what they do, but nothing's feeling specific"

"Don't let her get you down" he flew at her.

"Ah ah, that's not true, it's just as easy for you to bring yourselves down" Bertrand pinned Danny down in wolf form. Danny easily tossed him aside and pulled out the Thermos.

"You think that's gonna work?" he asked.

"You're cornered, shouldn't we be saying that?" Danny confidently asked.

"Not exactly, you see we've been expecting you" he phased into the ground. Sleep overcame me and I fell to the ground.

"Cali?" Danny yawned, he fell beside me and began to doze off.

* * *

I woke with a heavy feeling. My feet were tied together as were my arms. From what I could tell I was tied to the ceiling by the ropes around my hands. I tried to pry free, but couldn't, this ropes were canceling my powers. Danny was snoring right next to me in midair.

"Danny!" I called. "Danny!" I squirmed around to bump him with my feet.

He stirred awake with a dazed look, "Wha.." he attempted to rub his eyes.

"What's going on? You said it traced Ember, not Spectra"

He noticed me, and finally woke up with disappointment to be forced awake, "Uh, what?" He shook his head remembering the situation. "I don't know, maybe the data got jumbled.. A technical difficulty?"

"Have a nice nap?" Ember floated up from below.

"We kept the ghost knock-out gas from our spat at the hospital," Bertrand informed, "it's the only thing that works on you," he glared.

"But, wow. You met a cute little girl, dipstick," Ember tapped my cheek.

"And it's all the better that she's half ghost too," Spectra entered.

"What are you all planning to do?" Danny asked.

"Look below," Bertrand pointed. The room was filled with townsfolk, all working to make bubble gum. Every so often they would also shout 'Ember!'

"Sam" I saw Sam working in the crowd.

"Tucker" Danny spotted Tucker.

"They're under my control baby!," Ember flew over and hit a cord, jamming her hypnotic music into the gum batter.

"Not only that, I added my own little ingredient," Spectra grabbed Tucker from the crowd and absorbed his misery dry. "They're helplessly miserable all the time~," Spectra smiled, gleaming with health.

"We'll just keep getting stronger from here on out," Ember relaxed in the air.

"And here you two are, the only protectors of this dump of a town, hung up nicely for us like piñata's," Spectra giggled.

"The Fenton's will stop you" Danny replied.

"Your parents!" Bertrand laughed, "aside from the fact that they can't do **anything **right, they're humans"

"Hey, that's just his dad" I fought back.

"Thanks" Danny said sarcastically.

"And soon they'll be under our control" Ember added.

"Along with the rest of the world when this gum goes worldwide," Spectra spun around.

*Gotta think* I searched every corner, maybe I could get out, maybe there was a chance. Danny and me struggled in the ropes, straining every thread of thought our mind could weave.

"Ha!" Spectra shot Danny's stomach, he screamed. I winced and struggled harder.

"Aw, we scared the little mouse" Ember smiled and hit a cord for a punch beam to pound my back. I glared Ember down and attempted to mess with her mind.

"Wha-!" Ember stopped, floating mindlessly in the air. I managed to put her consciousness into an awake dream state. As Ember fell, my power back lashed, attacking my head with a major headache, it wouldn't stop, I screamed.

"What the-" Spectra paused.

"Cali!" Danny watched.

"Where-" I was in a frenzy, looking over everyone in the room for the only person who could do this to me.

"Hahaha" one man, apart from everyone else, was watching me in the crowd, "Stealing my power! Useless. Wouldn't you rather have _**me**_ help _**you**_!," A flare of power escaped the Jewel of Ectocide, severing the ropes around me and Danny.

"I'd _rather_ we have a chat" I snarled back.

Danny tightened his grip on the Thermos, watching me with confusion written over his face, "What's going on?" he asked.

I found the jewel from around my neck and pulled at it, I stared directly at the man in disguise. He broke into a wild grin that closely resembled the way he was laughing. Filou twirled his fingers and disappeared.

"Wait!" I screamed.

Ember came to and wrapped her flame hair around me, "No, you wait. For pulling a stunt like that, little dweeb! You're playing with fire" Ember growled.

My eye's flared up, "Fine! I'll fight with it instead!" All the fire within me exploded in a devastating blast. Ember went out for the count with Bertrand close by. Spectra and Danny managed to intangibly escape as the roof went aflame. No longer under Ember's control, the people went in a mad rush for the door. I rushed outside as well, searching the crowd once again.

* * *

[Writer's POV]

"Cali! Why are-" Danny surrendered his attempts to call her. She was overcome with emotion he couldn't break through.

"Your girlfriend could really use anger management classes," Spectra filed her nails.

Danny took advantage of this momentary cease fire by punching Spectra. She dodged and fired back, "Hah, even without those lugs dragging me down, I'm still stronger then you"

"That's no good," came a voice from below. The Jack-o-Nine Tails wrapped around Spectra, zapping her away, "Need some help little brother?"

Danny unstressed, "Jazz!"

With Jazz's help, Danny managed to bag up all three of the ghosts as the proper authorities arrived. Cali returned in the end, looking distraught, rubbing her neck in shame.

"Cali" Jazz greeted.

Cali watched the same spot on the ground, looking up only to speak, "h-hey, Jazz.. Are you better?"

"Nope," Jazz smiled, "The Fenton reality helmet was modified to regulate my body temperature to 37 degrees"

Cali stammered, "37?"

"That's Celsius," Danny broke in, "it's more familiar as 98 degrees Fahrenheit"

Cali gasped, "Wow"

"This helmet's amazing, right?" Jazz grinned.

Cali faced Danny, "Yes, but really I'm wondering how did you fail the last science test, knowing that?"

Danny sighed, "Because Fahrenheit has nothing to do with the chemical makeup of plants…"

The cops barged in forcing them to fly Jazz home.

"Ow" Danny gasped after touching the reality helmet.

"Too hot for you Jack Frost," Cali laughed regarding his icy powers, "ow," curiously she burnt herself as well.

"What was that Ms. Burn The House Down?" Danny now regarded her powers with a smug smile.

"You two have such a way with words," Jazz dryly broke in.

Cali reached for the helmet again, "don't" Danny began to scold when Cali absorbed the heat it emitted, "how-" he began to question, wondering about his own power.

"Just going on a hunch" she watched her hand as they landed safely in the lab at Fenton Works.

"I'll see what Mom and Dad are doing" Danny turned human and left upstairs.

"Hiii-ya!" Cali punched, kicked, and did other terrorizing things to the air as she practiced her style of fighting in this lapse of silence. Jazz watched in unseen amusement with her arms innocently behind her back.

Jazz eventually broke into a fit of laughter, "You're just like Danny"

"Uh," Cali's lost face, lost balance, her transformation reversed, and she tumbled to the ground, as she was overcome with a deep blush. "I don't like Danny," she quickly responded before realizing what was actually said, "I mean-" Cali squeaked. "How so?" she shyly spoke with her voice barely audible.

Jazz laughed more now.

"Mom and dad left a note saying they went to the ghost clean up at Gembersnaps shop" Danny reentered, "What's up?" he asked upon seeing Cali steaming in a blush, and Jazz busting a gut laughing. Cali swiftly left.

Jazz elbowed Danny when she calmed down, "Someone likes you," she sneakily spoke.

He gasped, "Who?"

"I can't tell you!"

"Then why did you say it…" The now disappointed Danny ran off to check Cali. She was stopped in the kitchen watching the door.

"Your parents are back," Cali pointed as they entered.

"When! The note said, I mean, they wrote. So soon.." he sighed."You're not making any sense.."

He thought seriously on her words, "I don't make cents, I make dollars"

Cali faulted and couldn't hold back laughter at his typical sense of humor. Danny laughed along with her before his parents came into the room.

"Glad you two are having fun, the building we went to see was burned down," Jack gloomed.

"Oh, honey. At least no one was hurt," Maddie relieved upon hearing this, "that's good"

"We managed to retrieve this though," Jack enthusiastically held out a box of gum, "Want some?"

"I was told not to eat sweets" Cali defended.

Cali and Danny left to check Sam and Tucker. When they caught up with their two best friends, they were disorientated and exhausted only wanting rest. So Cali and Danny decided to call it a day as well.

"What was that about earlier?" Danny asked.

Cali failed to understand, "when?"

"At the shop.. You went berserk"

"That," she paused, "you didn't see him?"

"Who?" he stopped upon entering Cali's empty home.

"Uh.. Filou.." Cali walked past and sat on the living room couch.

"He was there?"

"I think, but now I'm not sure," she became as depressed as before.

"I think your getting stressed," he felt her forehead, the close contact reminded him of the kiss earlier and he pulled away. "Just get plenty of rest okay?" Danny reminded as he peaked from the front door leaving."Yeah.." she laid back with a sigh.


	11. Just Another Day

After a bad run in with Vortex a couple of day's ago, it became apparent to Danny that I was not exactly capable of handling my powers fully yet. To be honest, my powers were just acting up. It's getting more and more difficult to handle as my ghostly power grows over the time I've had this necklace. Though it's a pain, I've realized that to control myself I'm going to need more training then I'm allowing myself to have. And Danny took it upon himself to help.

We began with the basics. Invisibility, intangibility, And flying agility. It helped that Danny's lab had an obstacle course specifically for this type of work. I had basics down in no time then we moved to offense and defense.

"You have to make it like this" Danny instructed as he showed me a ghost shield.

"Alright!" I copied him.

"You've got that move down" Sam encouraged while Tucker wrote something down on the checklist.

"Now, practice the ghost ray, and that'll end it for today" Danny pressed a button and cardboard people/ghosts popped up.

Danny relaxed to watch, "Shoot the bad one's, leave the civilians alone."

"Okay" I said confidently.

After I finished the lab was fried, and sadly I also fried my friends somehow in the crossfire.

Danny grabbed my hand when the last surviving civilian came out, "That's enough"

"I don't get it, you can shoot fire accurately, but not ghost energy?" Sam asked.

I shrugged, all in all this training felt more like a test then training, and I think I failed the last question.

"Maybe your body doesn't handle it right" Danny observed as he overshadowed me.

"Gah, how ominous.." I shivered.

Danny used my body to shoot a ghost ray without problem.

I smiled finally understanding, "Oh, I get it!" I turned serious, "Now, my turn!" I charged up to fire at a target.

"Let me out first! And you're not doing it rRIIght!" Danny yelled as he jumped out. I was taken by surprise and fell.

"Heh," I flashed Danny a smile after I had clung to his leg for support. He gently set me down.

"Let's try this again," Sam threw a piece of cardboard at the air, I managed to shoot it perfectly.

"And. We. Are. Done!" Tucker happily checked off Ghost ray from the list.

"But what about duplication? And I wanna learn the Ghostly Wail!" I complained.

"One step at a time," Danny waved me off. I had no choice but to comply, my friends are the only one's who give help for free, might as well not take advantage of that.

* * *

The next day I woke up bright and early for school. But, that's just what I thought. My clock lit the numbers 9:57 AM.

I sprinted out of bed, "Ouuu" I cringed holding my head after I rammed the dresser. I got dressed, made myself fit to be seen, and jumped down the stairs into the kitchen.

"Dad?" I gasped after I bounced off of him and fell to the ground. My Dad's built like Danny's Dad so, of course he was standing sturdy after that tackle, with the indifferent expression he wears almost all the time.

"Morning" He smiled picking me up carefully with both hands, like a baby.

"Honey! I'm ecstatic to see you up and dressed so early on a Saturday!" Mom chirped as she grabbed things for work. Dad looked ready to go, with coffee in hand, waiting patiently as Mom scrambled things together.

"Saturday?" My voice cracked, *so, I am up early,* I thought.

"Cali, I'm going to need a favor. I slept in, so I need you to prepare us lunch, then bring it to the Bank by 11" Mom instructed.

"I was actually-" I stopped noticing Mom's 'where are you going with this?' face. She doesn't take back-talk well. "Sandwiches? Bottled water?" I suggested surrendering the fight.

"Yes, and some Veggi-Bars for your father" Mom said. Dad wasn't acknowledging the conversation, we all know he hasn't been eating his vegetables.

"Bye, I love you" I said as they left.

"Love you too" Mom said rushing out the door.

"Bye, love ya" Dad pet my head and walked out.

They drove away and I got to work. Ham and Swiss cheese for Mom. Turkey and Cheddar for Dad. As I put the sandwiches away a jolt of pain zapped through my head, causing an involuntary twitch.

"Ow," I recoiled and dropped Mom's sandwich, "great.."

As I redid the sandwich my mind wandered. Filou would help me, but why. Probably to see progress, and protect the jewel. Then if I disappeared would the jewel go as well? As of recently, these little shocks of pain have been occurring more frequently. I've always wondered what they were, its most likely the jewel trying to overtake my remaining human half. Make's me scared to go ghost, I mean, what if I can't change back?

All it does is remind me I'm going to die sometime soon. Leaving my friends to grieve, my family to wonder and cry. And I can only imagine what he would do. It hurts, while I was going around making closer relations with everyone, I should have been pushing them away to a point where they didn't care if I kicked the bucket. If anyone was to be sad about my death I'd rather hurt and have nobody love me, then everyone miss me uncontrollably when I'm gone.

I took a double take of the room as I felt tears welling up. Even though I was home alone, my face tightened up to a pout as I forced back tears.

"Cali!" Danny happily burst through the door. I went invisible as he surveyed the room, then he ran upstairs to my room.

"I'm in the kitchen" My voice choked as I turned visible.

"Cali!" Danny jumped in the room. I turned away, pretending to be busy with a paper bag in my hand. "Have you heard Dumpty Humpty's new album!"

"No. Good?" I asked shortly trying to hide my voice.

"Their latest song Scrambled, is the greatest thing since Paulina hit puberty"

"…" I wiped my face down.

"You okay" Danny turned me around, gripping both of my shoulders.

"Mmm!" I nodded vigorously as tears slid down my face.

"You sure?" His eyes were locked, as his brain tried to think of a resolve. I shot a thumbs-up. But, my face really contradicted that.

"I know what'll cheer you up" Danny said in a climatic voice.

"I'm fine" I snapped, clearing the remaining tears. Danny kept an indifferent expression as he popped a CD in the radio. "Danny" I tried to keep a stern face. But I couldn't hold back my laughter at Danny's face when he pressed play. Then he held out his hand for a dance.

"Danny, I need to get my parents their lunch" I laughed holding up paper bag lunches.

"Al-alright" He laughed.

I smiled and thought, *even though he didn't know what was wrong, he didn't pry information. He just wanted to cheer me up. How nice to have someone who only wants to see you smile,* I grinned.

I packed the lunches into a plastic bag while Danny helped by getting my bike from the back.

"What are you going to do today?" I asked Danny as he followed me on his scooter.

"I was gonna hit the arcade with Sam and Tucker, but they've been hooked on this new online Carnivore versus Herbivore game"

"Hmm, the old frenemies war.. Shouldn't we stop them?"

"It's over the net, as long as they don't meet up in person, everything will be fine" Danny assured me.

I smiled, "That's good.." we arrived at Metal Bank.

"Your parents job?"

"Yep, bank managers," I informed Danny as we walked inside.

"Wow, how did they move up to the top so fast?"

"They were apart of the advisory committee to represent Wisconsin in deciding the name for the new banks that were to pop up around the US. Someone originally decided on Steal Bank.. But that sent the wrong message, so my parents suggested Metal and it stuck. After that the advisors that showed exceptional leadership were appointed manager of their division, one of them was my Dad. And when my Dad transferred here, he was put right on top" I explained as we entered the staff break room.

"Uh-huh" Danny absently said as he scanned the vending machine.

"Were you listening?" I asked provoked that I might have to repeat that.

"Yeah I was" He defended, then he pulled change out of his pockets. "Got any money?"

"We're in a bank"

"That's stealing"

"Hmph" I pulled out a dollar bill and in return he gave me his small amount of change. His snack got stuck in the machine and he started to phase his hand through.

"Whoa, whoa! We're in the wrong place for that" I pulled him back and pointed to the security camera.

"Oops, that was quite un-witty of me" Danny bumped the machine and his chips came down.

"Quite" I remarked at his word usage. We made ourselves comfy opposite to each other on the couches.

"Want some?" Danny offered me his chips.

"I did pay for most of them" I noted.

"Ready~" He pulled back to throw the chip. "Go" He threw it and it smacked me on the eye.

"OW" I sneakily munched the chip and held my eye.

"Did I hit you?" Danny got up and checked.

"Yeah" I got up.

"Well let me see," Danny pulled my hand away and I laughed at his reaction to my acting. "You faker," he said in disbelief.

"Fooled you" I grinned as I seized his chips and ran away. He followed but quickly stopped in his tracks as someone seized me. I was pulled by the collar of my shirt to meet eye to eye with my Dad.

Mom smiled, "We could see ya'll from the camera room"

Dad set me down "Right.." I said. I ate a handful of chips then handed the bag back to Danny. "Wonderful" Danny remarked and ate his remaining snack.

As the time passed I shared my own bag lunch with Danny while we watched TV. Then when my parents left, we reenacted what we saw on TV. We took our cell phones and an old kettle corn Danny found in his pocket. Then we placed our cell phones on either side and called each other.

"Told you it was phony" Danny said. I picked the corn up and popped it with my fire.

"It kept us entertained" I placed the corn in his hand and he ate it.

"Weird taste.. Oh, I gotta go! Jazz was suppose to help me fix the training equipment before my Dad found out," Danny rushed out the door as I followed.

"Sorry bout that" I said as he put on his scooter helmet.

"I just wanted to.. You know, help. It's not your fault" He stated.

"I see.." I crossed my arms as he drove away, "Thanks, and don't forget our training on those other powers tonight!" I shouted.

"I won't!" He yelled.

I went back inside to tell my parents goodbye when some guy smashed me against the wall and patted me down. I couldn't speak and I couldn't push him away, something was zapping my power away where he touched me. He swiped my cell and threw me against the receptionist desk. I got up and into a fighting position when I noticed all the people cowering on the ground. I saw Dad standing around and I almost called to him until I spotted the gun against his back. Then I realized all the men standing around with guns weren't security guards. My parents and me were involved in a modern day crime, bank robbery.


	12. Half of the Question

It's been two years- I just- wow. If anyone is still reading this, I sincerely apologize for making you wait so long. I have an ending in mind now, so this should be finished, hopefully, before summer break. Anyway, please enjoy.

* * *

Hostages. I believe that's what the customers and I are considered now. What a predicament. I would beat the robbers senseless, if they weren't watching us like hawks. Not to mention the fidgety victims. Any attempt I tried at transforming would be caught by every eye in the room.

_I fight ghosts with Danny day in and day out, and now the one's I protect turn against me, _I glowered upon the thought.

A pebble caught my attention. The pebble was just chilling in the middle of the floor, so I grabbed it. I contemplated on who deserved punishment the most while burning the rock with flames hidden in my hands. The muscly guy was way over by the door, so I settled on who was closest. I flicked the molten rock at the robber. It landed on his shoe, and burned through the leather within a matter of seconds.

The man yelped in pain, "Oooouch!"

When the robber began writhing on the floor, all eyes were on him. I seized that opportunity, and turned the floor beneath us hostages intangible.

"WAHH!" The people screamed as we fell. In the midst of all the chaos I was able to transform into Cali Knight. Then we all landed in the storage room directly below the main entrance.

"Ghost girl!" a boy shouted upon recognition.

"Are you here to rescue us?" they asked in anticipation.

"Um... yes. And it's Cali. Cali Knight," I sat back in midair, _Well, well, well, it's my turn to be the lone hero._ They all waited with a glimmer of hope in each of their innocent eyes. I flew to the back wall and made it intangible. At first one person slowly stepped through, and into the outside world. The rest followed apprehensively, each just a bit faster than the last, until I got tired of it and yelled, "Go!" Then they all poured out.

After the hostages escaped safely, an epiphany hit me, "Mom, Dad!" I flew straight to my parent's office. However, they were just sleeping soundly at their desks.

"They must have fainted.." I sighed in relief.

By simultaneously grabbing their hands I planned fly Mom and Dad out to safety, however just a touch to them shocked the living daylights out of me. My whole body stung after I let go, and even my strength was zapped from me.

"Ha! We've got you surrounded!" A young boy taunted me as an army of men leapt out from behind him, like a surprise attack.

The boy was dressed in black pants, wearing a black eye mask and hat, along with a black and while striped shirt. On his shoulder was a small raccoon which was dressed in a similar fashion.

"Wait, your not the copper. Hey, you said this would work!" the boy yelled at his raccoon.

"I merely suggested the idea of taking a hostage. Besides, you're the one who wished to play Cops and Robbers," the raccoon stated.

"Whatever, gag her and bag her! We'll have one more hostage for the Copper when he arrives!"

"Copper?" I asked.

A man grabbed me. Then the same shock occurred like before. It felt less intense then touching my parents, but painful nonetheless. As I cringed in agony the man let go and stepped back.

"What's going on here?" the boy grabbed my arm, inducing the shock once more, "What a hype!" he enthusiastically shot into the air with a new found energy.

_A ghost?! _I thought as he flew in circles around the room. My vision warped, then suddenly every crook in the room assumed a ghostly appearance, "You're all ghosts?!" I exclaimed.

"What did you think we were? Street performers?" the boy laughed.

I knocked the kid over the head, "I don't like fighting with kids, so pack up and leave now!"

It seemed like I struck a nerve, "You think you can get away with that?!" his hand morphed into a gun. He shot me point blank with an ecto-energy ball, "And the name's Youngblood!"

"Ouuch..." I rubbed my forehead, "Ghosts have no need for earthly money. So, why are you robbing this bank?!"

"Why not? You see these kinds of scenes in the movies all the time, and actually, robbing a bank is fun!"

"Fun?" I could feel a foreign power overwhelming inside as my fury increased. Youngblood responded to my animosity by cowering back. Some of his subordinates were even fleeing the room.

"Cali?!" Danny Phantom interrupted us.

My focus shattered, "D-Danny!"

Youngblood froze. His knees trembled and eventually he and all his followers fell to the ground. A cold sweat ran down their faces, yet they couldn't pull their eyes away from me.

Somehow returning to his right mind, Youngblood gasped, "Th- the man! Operation blown men, the Copper's here, grab the goods and lets scram!"

They couldn't pull themselves together, the ghosts tumbled around in a confused panic. Danny chuckled upon the sight.

"This is going to be too easy," Danny smirked. A few ghost rays later and he was right. Some ghosts actually welcomed being captured into thermos.

"Wow, that's a first. They looked genuinely terrified. What did you do?" Danny chuckled, "Did you make them listen to mix tape sung by Tucker?"

We both shivered.

"No, I- I'm not sure what happened..."

_Wait, I- Did I use Filou's power?! I wanted them to be afraid, and it happened_, I thought. _Before now, I could only use Filou's power against him. That mind reading power, but for this to happen unintentionally, without my control... I... if this continues... I'll become like him_, shivers crept under my skin, _I'll become Filou..._

Danny talked on about something, but my thoughts ran regardless, _Wait, why was everyone shocking me earlier? I saw no devices... and from their reactions, those ghosts were stealing power from me by touch._

"Hey Danny," I took his hand into mine.

He nervously jolted, "Wh- what is it?"

_It doesn't hurt? Then why...?_ I thought.

A quick touch to my parents confirmed that the shock was still there.

"Cali?"

"Oh, um- I hope my parents feel better by tonight. It's Pizza Night!" I grinned, "Saturday Pizza Night is the only time all week that I'm allowed to stay up past midnight."

"Cool, I wish my parents would do that."

Later when the police arrived we left the bank and visited Danny's home to empty the thermos into the Ghost Zone.

"Hey Danny, do you ever go exploring in the Ghost Zone?" I asked.

He rummaged through some drawers then pulled out a rolled up piece of paper.

"Just the occasional visit. I'm trying to not make a hobby out of it since almost every ghost in the Ghost Zone is out to get me, but as for exploring I tried to make a map of it once."

Danny unrolled the paper to reveal a mess of scribbles and doodles. I couldn't help but laugh.

Danny scowled, "Ha. Ha. Ha. You try and fit all the things in that world on one piece of paper."

I cooled my laughter, "Wouldn't it have been better to take pictures?"

He rolled his eyes and put the map away.

"Say, what kind of houses did you see in the Ghost Zone?"

"Houses? It's more like castles, doors, and prisons.."

"So.. you've never seen a house in the Ghost Zone? Like perhaps, a house with pointy weapons sticking out?"

He scratched his chin in thought, "I... I think I've seen something like that.. Yeah! Over by the library! -Wait, why are you looking for a house? Thinking of moving into the Ghost Zone or something?"

"No, just curious."

"Danny~ Where are you?" Mrs. Fenton called from upstairs.

Danny quickly transformed and became human. I willed for the transformation rings to surrounded me, they engulfed my body as always, yet this time I remained in ghostly form.

Danny snapped, "What are you doing? Change back!"

"We've got a new weapon to show you," Mr. Fenton announced as his footsteps loomed closer, "It's a new device to zap and tear apart ghosts limb from limb. Hopefully leaving behind nothing but ash," Mr. Fenton trailed on the last words in satisfaction.

I panicked, "Your parents have the greatest timing in the world for things like this!"

"Just change back!" Danny waved his arms in the air.

I willed for the rings over and over, but the attempt was futile. Mr. Fenton's weapon was peaking around the corner as Danny did his best to cover me. I pulled forth the rings once more.

"Cali!" Another Danny Phantom happily leapt from the floor. He pushed me through the wall, and flew us all the way into the Fenton's living room. As we hit the floor I heard the Fenton's chatting downstairs, two rooms away from where I was now.

"Safe," I relaxed.

"Cali, Danny!" Jazz gasped, "I thought I had captured all the clones..."

"Clones?" I asked as the Danny, who had playfully brought me to safety, pulled me to my feet.

"Danny had created clones of himself to help with the cleaning, but then my parents got home before Danny could reclaim them, so I decided to use the Jack o' Nine Tails to destroy them," Jazz pulled out the weapon.

"Harsh..." I noted as Clone Danny hid behind me.

"Thank goodness my Mom and Dad didn't see this clone." Jazz tilted her head, looking puzzled. "Cali, why are you still in ghost form?"

"Th-that's not important. What I'm curious to know is how Danny knew the bank was being robbed."

"Oh, so the emergency was a bank robbery." Jazz drawled on below her breath. "Tucker called Danny, then immediately after, Danny flew out the door."

I smiled in defeat, "No wonder he had such good timing."

"Wait- you were involved in the robbery?!"

"Yes. It's the bank my parents run. Metal Bank."

"No way! That's the bank my parents use."

Danny angrily interrupted us, "What was that?!" he stomped through the kitchen, "A second later and you would have been fodder for my parent's new toy. Not to mention you're still in ghost form!"

"Cool your jets, I got out safe and sound."

Clone Danny, who had been joyfully floating through the air, knocked heads with me.

I pulled him to the ground, "Why is your clone so happy?"

Danny recalled the clone to his body, "After creating the third or fourth one, something goes wrong mentally or physically with my clones. It was a simple cleaning job so I decided, why not? But anyway, you should thank me for saving you back there. That stunt you pulled nearly gave me a heart attack," Danny impatiently tapped his foot.

"It was your clone who saved me," I retorted, "but thanks..."

"So Jazz, sorry I left so suddenly. There was a bank robbery-"

Jazz interrupted, "I know, Cali told me."

"You were right there listening," I referred to Danny's clone.

"Clones don't work like that. I can reclaim their power, not memories."

"Oh.."

"Danny~" Mrs. Fenton called, "bring Jazz, I'd like to show her setting 4"

"Setting 4?" Jazz asked.

A sudden boom shook the house. All of the lights shorted out leaving nothing but an eerie green glow from the basement stairs.

"I-I'm gonna go," I took off, "Bye!"

* * *

My ghostly form refused to let up. After trying time and time again, I could only manage a glimpse of my human form opening the rings at my hips, then the transformation would throw itself back. I returned to my room and scattered out images I had sketched of Filou, the Ghost Zone, my ghostly powers, anything. Nothing could explain why this was happening. Although, I searched desperately for the answer, I already knew why this would happen from day one.

_This is too soon_, my knees quivered, _my time can't be up. My ghost half can't take over yet!_ I conjured up the rings, urging every little drop of power I had into becoming human.

"Cali, are you home?"

Mom opened the door. The rings were successful this time. The greatest relief I could experience in such a crisis, only to have it coated by the worst fear of my entire life. Mom saw, and Dad was standing a step behind her. Both of them jaw dropped, breathless, wide-eyed, and confused.

I fell back, "N-no..."

By some nameless sense, I felt this moment coming for awhile, but to have it happen because I was careless terrified me. They were both in shock. Frozen.

My hand inched forward, "M-Mom?"

I expected her to be afraid. I knew she would run. But when it actually happened my chest sank in, leaving a heavy weight to pull my heart down even farther.

Dad remained silent, still processing everything.

_For them to find out like this_, I felt so ashamed. My eyes couldn't make contact with his.

"What did you do to her?" Dad stepped forward, "You must be a ghost in disguise, what did you do to Cali?!"

"Dad..." I meekly got up to my feet.

"Get out, ghost!" Mom barged in with a stun gun, the one from the emergency drawer in her bedroom.

A familiar lump built up in my throat, "Would you two calm down and listen for once?!"

Dad didn't back off, Mom wouldn't lower her weapon, but I spoke anyway.

"I'm not possessed by a ghost... I'm half ghost... It's been that way since the lab accident in Wisconsin..."

Mom's grip loosened. She gasped and dropped the stun gun.

"I thought you two would react this way if I told you.. So, I was s-scared to bring it up, but..."

There it was again, that judging gaze they always wore. Instead of accepting my words, they were thinking of other ways to reject it. Those dreams I had of us getting along, them understanding my differences... all shattered.

I chuckled, struggling to lighten the mood, "I'm not doing anything bad with my powers. I do good, in fact, I helped out with the bank robbery."

"You helped rob our bank?" Mom asserted herself closer.

I drew back, "No! I saved the hostages, Cali Knight saved the hostages!"

"Cali Knight?! You've been the ghost girl this whole time?!" Dad asked.

"Y-yeah... I..." My head drooped, I wanted to cry.

Why does this sound like a fight?

"I don't know what you want me to say..."

They stared in opposite directions. Until Mom broke down, holding her head in her hands and wailing through tears. Dad comforted Mom, and led her out the door, "Go to bed, Cali..." he hesitantly glanced at me.

"B-but what about-"

the door shut.

"Dinner..."


	13. Glittering Moments

I'm hallucinating. It has to be fake, I mean, who on earth would bundle together a small bouquet of wildflowers and lay them at my bedside. Yellow, blue, and orange flowers, all of which could be found after a quick stroll outside. I reached for the flowers, but my heart quivered. I didn't want to touch it, a strong will of regret wouldn't let me, even though something inside me wanted to willfully take it and gather more. But why? Where do these emotions spawn from?

"Now I'm going crazy," I turned in bed with a grumble. The flowers piqued my curiosity though, causing me to turn back, but they had disappeared. I must have not gotten enough sleep, my eyes are playing tricks on me.

On Sunday morning's Mom and Dad sleep in. By eating breakfast early I could prolong our next conversation at least until dinner.

As I walked down the steps my foot made the stairs intangible. I fell and landed rather painfully on the floor. Later as I poured cereal the table became invisible.

I squeezed the Jewel of Ectocide in my palms. _This heart is overpowering me_, I thought

After I had one bite, Dad came trudging down the steps. Mom followed close behind him.

"M-morning!" my lips ached for a smile.

They wouldn't acknowledge me. When their own food was ready, Mom and Dad sat down across the table and ate.

A few agonizing minutes later Dad finally said, "We're going to have to work today. The bank is a mess, so we'll probably be in late."

"Alright... do you need me to do anything?"

"No," Mom answered.

Silence.

Mom reached for the napkins, so I passed them to her. That's when my out-of-whack powers decided to turn the napkins invisible.

Mom recoiled. She slammed her fork down and finally looked me in the eyes, "Listen! I won't have you pulling those tricks in my house! Do you understand me, Camillia?!"

"They're not tricks," I stood up, "I just haven't been able to control it recently! Because I'm..." I gripped the necklace, "about to..."

Whether or not Mom felt my sorrow, she let me leave the room quietly. After changing into some casual clothes, I put shoes on, then stuffed my backpack full of essential items, and swung by the kitchen.

_These fights we always had back in Wisconsin... they always end bitterly, and without a word of apology. I will be gone soon. My powers acting up is a sign of that. Might as well try to leave without regrets._

"I've got some things to attend to." While Dad finally gave me his full attention, Mom simply glared at the wall. "Besides, you would probably feel better if I wasn't around right now... But, if I come back I hope that we can sort these things out," I transformed into Cali Knight. They weren't pleased to see me in such a way, but I smiled regardless, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry," with a long exhale my feet lifted off the ground. "and I love you... Bye."

* * *

"Danny," I hovered over Danny's bed while he slept, "Wakey wakey."

"Cali...?" Danny turned onto his back. He spotted my backpack and panicked, "School!" Danny fumbled out of bed, "Why didn't my alarm go off?!"

"Cause it's Sunday..."

"Sunday..." he collapsed, and bundled up back under the sheets. Danny warily looked at the clock then sighed at me, "Cali, what do you want?"

"I'm going shopping, and I was wondering if you could let me borrow one of your clones to help me carry things."

"Make your own clones."

"You never taught me how..."

"Just..." a clone of Danny suddenly took form at his bedside.

"Awesome!"

"He's got enough power to last thirty minutes... You should be done by then."

Clone Danny yawned and crawled into bed with Danny. Then they started fighting over the cover.

I pulled Clone Danny out, "Come on, it'll be fun."

"Since when has shopping with girls ever been fun?"

"Wow, he acts just like you... how disappointing."

"You're disappointing," Danny mumbled.

"Your face is disappointing."

"Your-"

"Alright," Clone Danny brought us to a halt, "Let's just get this over with."

* * *

"Cali," Clone Danny whispered, "what happened to the mall?! I thought you wanted to go to the mall! This is not the mall!"

"I know..."

We phased into Mayor Vlad's bedroom. At the moment Vlad was lost in a dream, taking a break from his duties as mayor for a well deserved rest. I would have left him alone to finish up his sleep, but the Maddie doll he held so dearly in his arms kicked a hole into the glass wall of respect I had for the guy.

With a deep breath, I crossed my arms over my chest and broke the silence, "Vlad!"

"Ugh..." Vlad rolled over in bed. "Cali? Have you any sense of time?!" he peeked at the clock, "The sun itself rose only two hours ago!"

"Yeah well..." a small sigh cooled my temper, "I promise I won't do it again..." my body felt numb as an array of emotions bottled in the words I was trying to say, "Vlad... my time is up..."

"What?!" Vlad's covers sprang into the air, they didn't even have a chance to reach the ground before his hands were on my shoulders. "Th-that can't be correct. He said we would have months- years, before such a thing occurred."

"He never said such a thing... you know that."

Vlad's grip on me tightened. He looked on with narrow eyes as his brows furrowed with unease.

"H- how can you be so sure?! You look perfectly fine to me!"

"I can't change back."

"Nonsense, of course you can, show me, become a human this instant!"

The rings of light, no matter how I forced them, scanned needlessly over my body. Nothing happened, I was still a ghost.

"It was a struggle to do it yesterday, and ever sense then, I've been holding my ghostly powers back. Now, it's impossible to turn into a human anymore. That's why we need to finish things today!"

"Finish what?" Danny interjected.

"Daniel?!" Vlad became Plasmius, "Leave immediately!"

"Hold it," I yanked Vlad's fist down, "that's just a clone."

"Why is-? Never mind! First we must find some way to make you human." Danny followed when Vlad picked me up and flew us into his lab, "If you can become human again that will buy us more time!"

"Mayor Masters!" a voice could be heard echoing down the halls while the doorbell repetitively rang. Danny and Vlad both quickly became human. "You're set to go on in half an hour for the speech at Town Hall!"

"Oh butter-biskets, it completely slipped my mind," Vlad faced me, "Don't go anywhere! We will discuss this matter in two hours."

Vlad rushed out the door, and soon an uneasy feeling settled on the air. Danny was waiting for an explanation, I was sure about that. After slowly turning to face him, I soon regretted bringing him along. Danny was impatiently tapping his foot with a raised brow, and a frown spread across his face. Such an expression made me flinch, however I soon masked that with a grin. Even though he's just a clone it's scary how similar he is to the real thing.

I stepped out of Vlad's lab and browsed around his home, "Classier décor, but it's still a house that screams _watch out! I'm single.._"

"What is it that you were talking to Vlad about?" Danny asked.

"You'll find out when he returns. Then again, Vlad said he'll return in two hours, you'll disappear by then."

"Then why did you bring me?"

I gravitated closer to his face and smirked, "Just being selfish, I guess."

Danny's cheeks reddened. He began moving away, but stopped so it wouldn't seem like I was in control of the conversation.

"I'm also a bit curious," I took his hands, "Why don't you hurt me?" My thoughts took over, _Danny doesn't steal my power like the others when we touch, but maybe... What would happen if I willingly give some to him?_

We formed a circle with our arms. I pictured this connection as a flow of water moving in a circular path, and gently nudged my power into his right palm.

"Cali.." Danny softly murmured, "I feel strange.." He seemed to be in a trance. Danny's demeanor slipped into an oddly relaxed state, as a slight tint of pink discolored his cheeks. His half awake gaze, and slightly parted lips gave me the impression that he would fall asleep. The weird thing was that I seemed to feel the exact same way.

A bright light enveloped us. When it subsided Danny had transformed into his ghostly half, while I reverted back to being human. He hastily undid his transformation and pulled a quick 360 to see if anyone witnessed what had just occurred.

He rubbed his palm. When Danny had calmed down enough, he asked, "What did you do?"


	14. New Perspective

_What exactly did I do?_ I thought. By experimentally supplying Clone Danny with my energy, our roles reversed. When I passed on my ghostly power is it possible that I was stealing his... humanity?

"I can't figure it out, but let's try again. I'm curious now," Danny intertwined his hands with mine.

I yanked away.

"N-no, let's not. But now that I'm in this form again, let's go get Vlad. I can't hold this power back for long, and I'm sure he'll be more than willing to cut his little speech short."

We hastily strolled into the city and wandered down the crowded streets leading up to Town Hall.

* * *

[Meanwhile]

"Danny," Mrs. Nought recognized the boy who greeted her at the door of Fenton Works.

The real Danny Fenton, who had been lazing about all Sunday morning, was too startled by Mrs. Nought's sudden appearance to even smile, "M-Mrs. Nought, what a pleasant surprise."

"Are your parents home?"

"No, they went to do some-" he mused over the conversation his parents had the night before of parading through the mall as ghosts so they could evaluate societies reaction to ghostly attacks in public places, "shopping..."

"Will they be home soon?"

"Um," Danny pondered how the people would react, and since this was not an event sanctioned by anyone official, he foresaw police involvement, "No..."

Mrs. Nought fretted over her next move. She looked at Danny as her last small ray of hope then went inside. They sat down, and while Danny fidgeted under her gaze, she weighed her needs to how bad his reaction would be. She sighed as her needs won, "Your parents hunt ghosts."

"Y-yeah."

"Suppose-" at that moment, she wanted to stop talking and leave. Although Mrs. Nought continued despite her mind saying otherwise, "a person became half ghost. How would you change it? How can you make a person normal again?"

Mentally Danny was screaming. He would have made a full on dash out the door if Mrs. Nought didn't look so concerned.

"I uh, u- um, what- why? What brought up such a bizarre question? Aheheh."

That's when it dawned on her, "You knew?" Danny wanted so much to flee or at least duck behind the couch.

"Knew? I- I wouldn't say I knew- I mean," Danny recomposed his voice into a calmer one, "what do I know?"

"Cali... she... she's that ghost girl..."

"Cali?" Although his own panic dissipated, a new fear nested in Danny's heart, "Are you sure Cali's half ghost?"

"She," Mrs. Nought choked back tears when remembering, "Cali transformed right in front of us. I don't know what to do. I thought Cali was turning over a new leaf. She wasn't getting in trouble anymore. Her grades were improving. She's made good friends. And she was finally listening to us. But now," a tear escaped her, "I find out she's been lying to us! All this time, she's been getting into trouble as that ghost girl! I always thought it was those kids back in Wisconsin who made her this way, but it was her this whole time. She's the bad seed, and it's all my fault..."

Danny, in all his years, had never seen an older woman break down, and confide in him like this. He was unsure of what was appropriate to say, so Danny chose to speak as if he were in Cali's shoes, since they are in the same boat, "Have you ever tried to find out from Cali what she does as a ghost?"

Mrs. Nought hazily recalled their conversation from the other day, "She said something... but it doesn't matter. My daughter defied me, Cali-"

"Cali hasn't been going against you. Hold on." Danny ran into the kitchen, and returned with a newspaper in hand. He handed her the front page and pointed at the bottom, "Look at the quotes from the people who were involved in that incident the other day."

She mumbled to herself, "'Cali Knight saved my life...' 'fanclub...' 'supergirl...' 'devoted savior to the town...' 'Phantom and Knight in love for-'"

Danny tugged the paper nervously from her hands, "Uh um, you get the gist of it."

"I don't understand, she helped those ghosts rob our bank."

"She would never do that! She may not be the best fighter, and sometimes she has a hard time controlling her powers, but Cali Knight fights off ghosts that invade the town and cause trouble..." Danny lost his confidence for a second as Mrs. Nought stared bewildered at him, he glanced out the window then continued, "Listen, she didn't want to disappoint you. She knew you hated ghosts, and she once said that after what happened in Wisconsin, you wouldn't accept her as a ghost. She was scared you'd hate her." his voice softened when Mrs. Nought eyes filled with tears of distress, "And she hasn't been doing anything bad, trust me, Cali's been protecting you. She's been protecting everyone..."

Mrs. Nought spoke through sobs, "Why didn't she get rid of those powers? Why does she put herself in danger like that?!"

Danny never thought about that. His reason for fighting was always that it was his family's portal that released ghosts in the first place. As for Cali, even when family or friends weren't in danger, she would come and fight every time she could. Maybe..

"Since they work together so often, maybe it just became normal for her to help the ghost boy."

Mrs. Nought found a bit of comfort in the fact that Cali wasn't battling alone then wiped the tears from her eyes, "The ghost boy who also fights ghosts." A smile graced her lips, "That must mean he is human too. That Danny-"

Mrs. Nought's eyes widened. Her head shot up at Danny.

He froze on the spot.

"Phantom..."

* * *

Thank you for the favorites, follows, and reviews! It's comforting to know that people are still continuing to read after all this time.


	15. Get with the Program

[Author's POV]

The front door of Fenton Works flung open and banged violently against the wall. Jazz stormed by, and with the glare she wore when she first arrived, Jazz discovered Danny across the room. She opened her mouth to vent, but Mrs. Nought's sniffling yanked at her ear. All the emotions that filled Jazz hit the floor, and an unsettling feeling took its place.

"What's going on?"

They faced Jazz, still equally shocked by the discovery, and unable to respond. Mrs. Nought slowly rose, and took her leave. Danny lingered in place, still weighing the consequences of Mrs. Nought knowing, until she stepped out the door. Then he pursued Mrs. Nought. Jazz couldn't form a question before they were both gone.

"M-Mrs. Nought!"

Danny tensely gritted his teeth as his parents ran into her before he could catch up. His mother comfortingly took Mrs. Nought by the shoulders.

"Danny," Mr. Fenton's voice distinctly heightened with suspicion on every word, "What did you do?"

"I- I-"

"Mister and Misses Fenton," Mrs. Nought wiped her tears and recomposed herself, "I just wanted to know more about your job, Danny here informed me of some things, but..."

Mrs. Nought glanced at Danny. Her unsure frown made him recoil. So many emotions plainly on his face; unease, hesitance, fear. All from ghost? A miscreant who enjoys the affliction of others, acting like a teenager. _Acting?_ Mrs. Nought contemplated as an epiphany surfaced, _he is a teenager._ Upon realizing this her doubt faded. _Would Cali have looked so frightened? I wish she would have spoken to me about this, confided in me... then again, I'm selfishly willing her to trust me, but when have I ever given her a reason to?_ Escaping her mind, Mrs. Nought benevolently smiled down to Danny, and the worry somewhat drifted from his thoughts.

"Never mind.. You two have a wonderful son. He's young, but wise," she resiliently folded her arms, "You must be proud.."

"I'm not sure where that came from," Mr. Fenton scratched his head. "But it sounded like praise, so he get's it from his father!"

"We're proud of both of our children," Mrs. Fenton kindly interjected.

Jazz approached them, "Um, what happened?"

Mr. Fenton pulled Danny in by the shoulders, "Danny brought Mrs. Nought to tears with the glories of ghost hunting!"

"Isn't it great?" Mrs. Fenton squealed, "It's about time more people took an interest in the fight against those putrid protoplasmic punks, Phantom and Knight."

Mrs. Nought became severely perplexed, "Phantom and Knight are allied with the humans."

Mrs. Fenton scoffed, "You believe such malarkey? They're putting on a act, and the whole town is falling for it!"

"Don't listen to them," Jazz shoved her parents aside, "The true danger facing the town are the two of you. Two grown ups running around the mall dressed as ghosts! Lucky I was around to stop you!"

Mr. Fenton rolled his eyes.

Jazz ruffled her little brother's hair, "Danny Phantom and Cali Knight do their best to protect the town, because they care, I just know it."

As Mister and Misses Fenton blocked out Jazz's words, Mrs. Nought understood that Danny's secret had been kept for the same reason Cali kept hers, "I see," she sympathetically sighed. "Well, I must return to the bank now," Mrs. Nought turned away, "farewell."

Mr. Fenton jumped in, "You're welcome to come back anytime. Then we can discuss ghosts!"

"And bring your daughter too," Mrs. Fenton added. Mrs. Nought paused. "She's such a sweet girl, and she gets along so well with our little Danny. Why just the other day-"

Danny elbowed her, "Mom-!"

"-she kissed him on the cheek!" she giggled.

"She did?" Jazz playfully nudged Danny.

"She did?" Mrs. Nought caught sight of Danny blushing. _Cali never even came to talk with me about regular girl things..._ Mrs. Nought felt her chest sinking, "Then I hope you can take care of her for me?"

Danny stood up straight, expecting to hear more. The tone in her voice held a double meaning for him in regards to their previous conversation.

Mrs. Nought continued as Danny's parents returned into their home, "She's too stubborn to listen to me anymore, and it..." her volume dwindled as she proceeded to leave, "wouldn't be right to make her listen to me, when I never really bothered with her..."

* * *

Clone Danny settled next to Cali. She was sitting on the sidewalk after a couple of bulky body guards blocked her when she tried to get to Vlad during his speech at Town Hall. It took awhile to get here though. Half an hour of fighting the guards, name calling, and rock throwing got her a threat from the police. So without the use of her powers, she resided to sitting in front of the unrelenting pair of guards, and stared at them. However, she quickly lost that staring contest.

"Cali," Danny tugged her sleeve, "Caaaallliiii... Cali!"

"WHAT?!" Cali exploded, although her weary eyes refused to open.

"While I'm against returning to the nest Vlad calls home, we should go back. You're passing out."

"Am not."

"Alright, just-" Danny yanked her arm, Cali swayed toward him and landed lightly against his shoulder. "Don't _not_ pass out with your head hanging forward like that. Your neck will regret it later"

"Whatever..." she mumbled as a blush crept onto her cheeks.

Moments later, the true Danny Phantom was flying over Amity Park, desperately searching for Cali. A single thought was running through his head on replay, _what should I say? 'My bad. Your mom found out my identity,' 'I told your mom everything,' no, 'she forced it out of me!'_ _or maybe simply, 'So, I hear Hawaii's good this time of year,' ... 'Let's elope' ... kill that thought... Kill it fast._

Down Below Danny spotted Vlad and his crowd of followers. Vlad was giving a little mayor speech, and everyone was mindlessly believing every word. How quaint.

While skimming the crowd Danny then spotted himself.

"What am I doing here?!" Danny used invisibility to quickly dive into and retrieved his clone. As he began to stand a warmth kept him in place. Danny felt an odd force against his shoulder, it felt like a living being, "What is this?"

"Quit it," Cali mumbled.

"Cali?!"

Cali rubbed her eyes, "Is his speech done yet?"

"His speech? Cali, you're invisible!"

"I wha-?!" Cali frantically looked over her body and became visible, "Did anyone see?"

The only, and most obvious two, who saw were the guards who Cali had a stare-down with earlier.

"You," one guard pointed in shock, "disappeared," the other guard fell back.

"You two idiots didn't see a thing!" Cali snapped.

"W-we're getting the cops back here pronto!" they pulled out their cells.

"I won't allow you!" acting on a faint recollection of Filou's power, Cali peered inside their minds to steal the memory of them seeing her invisible, but was immediately overwhelmed. The guards thoughts were simultaneously racing, she couldn't keep it under control. Even the silliest idea drifting into their minds held her back. In retrospect, Filou's mind wasn't as cluttered as theirs, or maybe he was hiding things? Whatever it was, Cali was forced to her knees, exhausted, and clutching her head. Cali's mind felt like it was on the brink of exploding. She accidentally took more memories than she needed.

"Cali, your eyes were glowing! What was that?!" Danny attempted to pull Cali up by her arm.

She shook him off.

The two men were dazed, and holding their heads in pain. Cali needed to put their memories back. She repeated the process with more control this time, and managed to only keep their memory of her disappearance to herself.

Soon she collapsed. After so much panic Cali's brain was splitting. Danny pulled Cali up and swung her arm around his shoulder.

Cali shook her head, "Alright Danny, you win. Take me back to Vlad's."

Danny pointed to himself, puzzled, "I win-?" Then he remembered the clone who had his place before him and asked, "D- does it have to be Vlad's?"

"Take me anywhere else and I'll get rid of you, right now."

Danny reluctantly carried her on his back and analyzed the guards bizarre conduct, "They saw your powers though."

"I fixed it to where they saw nothing. Now let's go."

_Fixed it? ... I guess I'll ask later... For now, she thinks I'm the clone_, Danny thought as they traveled down the sidewalk. _What happened between my clone and Cali?_ _Why would I want to take her to Vlad's?_ Danny pushed that question to the back of his mind. He suspected that it would be answered after they got to Vlad's. Besides, asking the wrong question now would reveal that the clone was replaced with the real thing.


	16. Duplicate's Dilemma

[Cali's POV]

For some reason Danny was now quieter than before. When we returned to Vlad's he allowed me to rest on the living room couch. Then Danny took a seat near the window. Not a word came from his mouth. After that haywire scene with the guards, I was sure he would barrage me with questions, but nope. Maybe he was actually waiting for Vlad? Luckily we didn't have to bathe in the silence for too long cause a few minutes later Vlad flew in as Plasmius. He landed gracefully before us and reverted to his human form.

"I saw that whole fiasco with the guards," Vlad calmly raised an eyebrow.

"Heh heh..." I playfully grinned.

"I told you to wait here, did I not? And why on earth is that clone still here?" Vlad looked Danny up and down, "And still in perfect form I see. Well.. I can fix that."

"Hey!" I slid between them as Danny took a fighting stance. "Haven't you noticed anything?"

"Like?" Vlad's eyes widened. He took me into his arms and cheered, "You're human again!"

"Yeah," I laughed. "It's all thanks to Danny," I motioned to the clone.

Although at the moment he was in shock, staring at us in disbelief like we committed a crime just by being happy together.

So I continued speaking as Vlad set me down, "-yeah, I um, synchronized our powers by linking hands, and voilà! I'm human again. Although, it's strenuous to maintain this form. And I really don't want to do it again because..." I swayed in Danny's direction, "I think that our sharing of powers was actually me stealing his humanity..."

Danny's eyes widened, but Vlad simply scoffed and shoved him aside.

"It is only a clone, Camillia, tuck away your sympathies. But now that this is taken care of I'll tend to the search immediately. You stay here, where it's safe."

I jumped to attention, "No way! This is my fight we're talking about! I have every right to search and-"

"Cali," Vlad softly interrupted me. He knelt onto one knee and laid a hand atop my head, "Have you looked at your human self recently? As a ghost it's normal, but this... Your skin is paling, your jeans don't look like they fit you anymore. Did you even eat breakfast?"

"Yeah, I had a bite, but you're getting off topic! I'm not hungry, and I feel fine."

"That's just it, Cali." Vlad pointed at Danny, "You stole his humanity, in conclusion yours is dying. You can't let your humanity lose. I want you to eat and take a long rest."

"But if I get rid of Filou now, I don't have to worry about my human half, I-"

Vlad transformed and flew off before I could finish.

"Listen to me!"

"What's going on?" Danny swiftly caught my wrist.

"Not now!"

He scoffed then sarcastically stated, "Oh sorry, I'll wait till it's convenient for you. I don't care anymore! The way you're acting with Vlad, those weird powers, and Filou! I thought you had told us everything, but none of this sounds like that story you told us at all! I want to know right now, just what in the world is going on?!"

The last person I expected to yell at me was Danny. He let go, and with that small opportunity to escape I had to fight myself to stay, because...

Where else could I run to now?

"We're friends," Danny's hand dropped, "right?"

"I-" my fists tightened, "Just hold on."

I ran to Vlad's lab, but soon discovered that he had locked the portal.

"That jerk!" I pounded the door.

Danny slowly wandered in. I caught a glimpse of him then turned back to the portal. Him staring at my back, and me staring at the metal doors. Another silent standoff. Maybe he would leave this time?

"What parts were lies?"

"Not much," the creeping thought to erase his memories found its way into my mind. Then I thought, _He's just a clone. If this goes wrong I could just get rid of him. _"Clone, you're lasting longer than you should have," I flipped around. The surprise on his face was a bit unsettling, but I decided not to think too much of it, "after I tell you, you have to swear no one else will ever know, especially the real Danny."

Danny took a double take around the room, as if I was speaking to the wrong person, "Oh, right! I won't tell a soul."

I sat against the portal, then invited him to do the same. While I pondered where to begin, Danny had his eyes locked on me. It was suffocating, like an invisible rope was slowing getting tighter and tighter around me.

I pointed to the left wall and shouted, "OH LOOK a distraction!" his head snapped that direction before he could actually registered the words.

However, while crawling away an icy hand caught me by the foot, Danny monotonously chuckled, "Ha ha very funny."

From his hand ice had began inching up my leg, threatening to freeze me in place, "Okay okay, I got it." He let go and allowed me to sit back in place, "Let's go back to the start..."

* * *

A whole hour of Q&A. Only an hour. That's it. My whole life from community service with Vlad to now, summed up to an hour. When Danny ran out of questions he knocked me over the head and shouted.

"You and your stupid pride!"

I irritably pulled his ears, "What?"

He smacked my hands away then rubbed the sore spots, "Uh, hello? My family lives on hunting ghosts, did it ever occur to you that maybe I picked up that trait? Why didn't you ask me for help?! I have the technology and resources to find Filou!"

"I don't need other people involved in my mess. Besides, I know. That's why we stole a few things from you."

He held me up by the collar of my shirt, "That was you?! Do you know what my parents made me do because they thought I lost their precious technology?!"

"Sorry, okay?!"

The ghost portal behind us opened, and with it a strong gust of wind that flung us against the opposite wall. Vlad soon entered and swiftly shut the door.

When the wind ceased we plopped onto the floor. I pulled myself up and asked, "Find anything?"

"Just Walkers lackeys," he groaned while turning human.

"You're useless," Danny mocked.

"There appears to be a fly still in the room..." Vlad formed an ectoplasmic fly swatter.

Danny elevated an eyebrow then upraised two fingers, bending them back and forth twice as if to say 'bring it.'

I emphasized every other word to express my frustration, "Would you two stop antagonizing each other?!"

They yelled defensively in unison, "But-"

However, I didn't want to hear it, "No! Danny, we need Vlad for his resources. And Vlad we need Danny for-" I paused to think, "m-moral support."

"Moral support?!" Vlad erupted in shock, "we have no need for such things!"

"I do..."

"My dear, this is hardly..." Vlad narrowed his eyes as an epiphany hit, "oh, don't tell me... you like him?!"

My face warmed, "Don't just assume things!"

"Oh fudge-nuggets," Vlad massaged his temples, "What do you see in him?!"

"I donno! He's nice, he's quirky he's-" Embarrassment cooked my brain to the verge of over-heating, so I ran upstairs shouting, "Bathroom!"

* * *

[Meanwhile]

Danny smirked. To which Vlad coolly removed a glove then slapped Danny upside the face with it. Danny in turn fired a ghost ray at his face, and that was the final straw. Vlad used full strength to punch a ghostly beam into Danny's gut. Danny was sent flying across the room, smack into a desk full of beakers which shattered upon hitting the ground.

To Vlad's surprise, Danny did not disappear, he didn't poof out of existence or anything. The only possible explanation Vlad could imagine for this was that the clone was actually the real Danny Fenton.

Vlad hastily dashed to the staircase and childishly shouted, "Cali, I have something to tell you about Danny!"

Danny jumped, "No, please don't!"

Vlad devilishly grinned, "And why's that? I may be able to destroy you physically, but after that little confession, who knows what she'll do to you emotionally. This is the perfect opportunity for you to get what you so rightfully deserve."

"Y-you," he grumbled. Danny tested his wits for some way to escape his fate when a disgusting plot hatched in his mind. He took a deep breath and with a defeated tone admitted, "I'll set ya up on a date with my mom, how's that?"

Vlad was strangely calm after hearing such a tasteful deal. Normally he'd leap at the chance, but now he's actually thinking about it. Danny panicked in thought, _The one time I want him to have his gross crush on Mom, and it's gone? How?!_

Vlad queried, "I suppose this means I'll be free to take her anywhere for our date, correct?"

Danny's words trembled anxiously, "Y-yeah, sure, anywhere! Rome, Philippians, you name it!"

"Hmm," Vlad glanced up the stairs, "Very well Daniel, however," Vlad loomed over Danny, "lay one finger on young Camillia and the deal is off."

"A-heheh, finger? What fingers?" Danny held up invisible hands.

Vlad returned his answer with a delighted smile.

"Vlad!" Cali's call echoes from upstairs, "What is this?!"

* * *

[Cali's POV]

Vlad exited his lab with the clone lagging close behind him. I waved my arms out to bring the humungous portrait hanging on Vlad's wall to his attention, "**Why the heck is this here?!**"

"Ah, you like it?" he brought a thoughtful hand to his chin.

"Like-? It's a giant, blown-up, photo of me! Take it down! NOW!"

"Why? I think it flatters you."

Upon closer inspection, it was taken at a good angle, "But it's huge! I can't have people seeing me like this... It'll be weird..."

"Come now, this is my private study, not just anyone can enter here."

"That just makes it weirder..." Danny commented. That's when I noticed him crooked over, holding his stomach as if it were in pain. Vlad then elbowed him in said spot, and Danny knelt down, writhing in agony.

"Knock it off!" I shoved Vlad aside then turned my attention to Danny, "Are you okay?"

Vlad bounced back, "Come child, that's a clone, what need have I to be gentle with it?"

"But that's exactly why you have to be gentle! He'll disappear if he gets too injured!"

Vlad glared at the clone, and in response Danny nudged me away, "It's okay," he stood up, "I'm just fine."

"Eek!" Chills ran up my spine as I noticed a shard of glass sticking out of Danny's side, "Are you kidding me?! That's not _just fine_!"

"Oh, heh, how long's that been there?" I poked it and his smile scrunched into an anguished scowl.

"Do you have a first aid kit?"

Vlad averted his attention, "Why would I have any use for such a thing?" he shrugged, "Simply leave him be, young Daniel will heal in due time. His ghostly powers allow a speedy process after all."

I took a tapestry off the wall and threatened to rip it, "Make-shift gauze will do then."

"No no! Wait, that's an antique!"

I pulled tighter.

"Fine!" Vlad glowered, "I'll retrieve one as per your request..."

When Danny was all patched up Vlad invited me to dinner. I only agreed to stay as long as there were no more disputes between him and Danny. Vlad forcibly settled on my terms and began cooking. Then Danny and I sat across from each other at the dining table.

"Where are you going?" I asked as Danny stood up from his chair.

"Um, bathroom."

"Clones do that?"

"I guess so," he nervously chuckled.

* * *

[Author's POV]

"It's getting late," Danny checked his watch then created a clone, "If I send a clone home with half my power, he should last for a long time."

The clone nodded then took off for Fenton Works.

"Dinner's ready!" Vlad chimed.

Danny returned and immediate chomped down on the luxurious food before him. But Cali merely stared at her plate, so Danny decided a little small talk wouldn't hurt.

"Cali," Vlad glared at Danny for speaking up, "what was that thing earlier? Your eyes were glowing."

"That was..." Cali grumbled, "I took advantage of Filou's power and stole the memory those two men had of seeing my ghostly powers." she held her head, "But I ended up taking more memories than needed. Two minds at once was too much I guess..."

"You're okay now, right?"

"I'm a-ok, but I wonder if I put their memories back into their correct minds."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Vlad asked.

"Well, since it was my first time I moved all their memories to my mind, then when I had the memory I needed I distributed their memories back into their own mind's, but I wonder if I put any of their memory's into the wrong mind at one point."

Danny chuckled, "Well, if you put the memory of playing a sport or something in the wrong guy's mind, at least he has a new hobby. Those are always fun."

"Yeah, but one of them was married, not that I care, but since I know this little fact I'm wondering if I read his memory of marriage or if I stole it since it's so vivid. If I stole it, then he doesn't know he's got a wife."

"That'll make an interesting conversation after work..."

* * *

[Cali's POV]

After dinner Danny sat back, comfortably rubbing his belly, "I couldn't eat another bite!"

"Cali," Vlad impatiently tapped his foot, "you haven't even touched your food!"

"I'm not hungry."

"Of course you're not hungry! Look," he pointed to my legs which had become invisible, "Your ghostly half is catching up again. Eat!"

"I-! ...I can't..."

Vlad sighed, "Not even for desert?"

"Well, maybe, I'll finish if I could stay here for the night?"

His eyes widened as a smile carried from ear to ear, "Of course! You can stay tonight, tomorrow, or all year if you so please!"

"Then can I stay as well?" Danny interjected. Vlad glowered.

"Why ask?" Cali frowned, "There's no reason for you to leave anyway."

"R- right..."

Vlad yawned, "The guest room is two doors down from my bedroom, I'll check on you there in 10 minutes," He slid my plate closer, "and I expect you to be there when I arrive."

"Annnd I'll Be... where?" Danny questioned, referring to his sleeping quarters.

I smiled at his word choice, "Beware!"

Vlad irritably groaned when Danny and I began laughing, "Daniel, you can sleep on the floor for all I care."


	17. Revive, Retaliate, Repeat

_They say people regret or reflect because of __it__. But rumors can sprout from anywhere, should I hold this one to be true?_

* * *

Another unapproved sleepover. Somehow, I didn't expect that I would resort to this again since the move, and despite how forced moving was, I liked the fresh start my parents gave me here in California. It allowed me time to think things over, reconsider the past, and reshape the future. But I guess Filou just threw all of my personal worries out the window.

I sighed at the dinner table, "No matter how many times I reheat it, it becomes cold before I feel hungry..."

Danny picked up his plate and walked through the table to sit beside me. He scraped half of my dinner onto his plate then grabbed some silverware.

I smirked, "I thought you _couldn't eat another bite._"

"But you can't eat a single bite. If you have to force yourself to eat, I'll help, because we need to sleep as well," he yawned then shoved a forkful of vegetables into his mouth.

I took in a forkful as well, mirroring his efforts until we finally finished.

"I'm gonna explode..." Danny exasperated as he hunched over the table.

"Ugh, let's just go before Vlad starts yapping again."

We rolled out of our chairs then began trekking to the guest room, dragging our feet down the halls and crawling along the walls.

"Are you actually gonna sleep on the couch?" I asked.

"Probably..."

* * *

_They say people become more attached, or less attached to certain things because of __it._

* * *

I opened the door to the guest bedroom then basked in it's luxurious furnishings. A personal bathroom. three king sized mattress stacked up one atop another. Beautiful purple bed curtains with frills lining the edges, and shining beads hanging from its ends. Walls decorated with breathtaking landscape paintings, and a closet packed with extra pillows and blankets.

"Awesome!" I leapt around the room full of hype.

"What?" Danny pulled at the curtains, "It's just a guest room."

"But it-"

"Is personally designed toward your tastes," Vlad stepped in.

"Really now?" I smirked, "Old man, I'm starting to think you planned this."

He gasped then innocently chattered, "How could I have planned for you to ever need a place to stay in my home." He turned on his heel and smiled, "On the other hand, I have prepared for such an occasion."

"It's such a big room... Danny, you could sleep here as well!"

Vlad instantly adopted a bitter expression, "Absolutely not! I will not have a girl and a boy sharing one room overnight in my house!"

"Why not?"

"Because it is dangerous for you, young lady."

"Danny's not dangerous." I defiantly stomped at the floor, "We've had sleepovers tons of times before, and actually, he's protected me way more than you have."

"That's not what I mean!"

Danny and I raised an eyebrow, "Then what do you mean?"

"I-" Vlad's voice started big, then he practically pleaded with me, "You're parents have given you _the talk,_ correct?"

"Loooong time ago... pervert... As if Danny would try anything."

"I-! You-! Fine! Just don't stay up too late!" Vlad stormed out then slammed the door shut.

Danny cleared his throat, "So," we sat at the windowsill, "you can steal memories, but can you also just simply read minds?"

"Sort of, well, I don't know exactly, but Filou can."

"If he can, you can. Try it."

"Um," I bumped my forehead against Danny's. As my powers began fumbling around his brain I retreated.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm scared I'll hurt you..."

Danny's cheeks stirred with a gentle pink, "You've never been so honest before."

"Do I have to lie for a clone?"

Danny rolled his eyes, "Come here, I'll be fine."

"No, you're the only clone I have. I can't exactly go back to Danny and ask for another, he'll get suspicious. And I don't want you to disappear..."

Danny created another clone and smiled, "Then read his mind."

After dubiously eying the two before me I brought myself close to the clone's duplicate, "Okay."

Suddenly Danny threw his arm up, bringing me to a halt. He nervously pulled off a smile, "Actually, I changed my mind."

"What? Why?"

"If you read my mind I won't have any privacy! Why don't you read your own mind?"

I glowered, "...Okaaay?... How?..."

"First make a clone."

"...Right..."

He sighed then began instructing me, "First, transfer your energy evenly from the core of your body out." I forced out every ounce of ghostly power that my human body could muster up, "Then materialize your energy to shape the human figure as close as you possibly can."

Suddenly another me took form at my side, we linked hands and happily shouted, "Cool!" then we clasped Danny into a hug on either side, "Thank you for teaching me, Danny!"

"Y-you're welcome, Cali. You picked that one up quick, must be the jewel's help."

"Yeah... Now what?"

"Alright, now our clones will go into the hall. My clone will tell your clone something you don't know, then you can find out what it is by reading her, um, your mind. Deal?"

"Ah, I see! Deal."

The clones left, shutting the door behind them. At first only a muddled conversation could be heard, then a full blown argument erupted.

"What's going on?"

Danny narrowed his eyes, "They're probably fighting about what I should say to you that you wouldn't already know."

"Are you sure?"

"Kind of. Because I was wondering about that myself, what could I say that wouldn't incriminate me?" Danny paused, "I don't think this is going to end well..."

"How so?"

The door banged open. Our clones walked in, both looking opposite directions with a scowl upon their faces. My clone looked me straight in the eye then waited with a clear blush splattered across her cheeks.

"...What happened?..." As I explored my clone's mind, Danny conversed with his double.

"You didn't actually-?"

The double innocently rolled his eyes. Danny let an annoyed growl escape before he tried to tiptoe away.

"Ah!" I gasped. The clones returned to our bodies as I marched over to Danny. After swiftly slapping him across the face, Danny yelled, "Why hit me?! He said it!"

"He's you!"

"So?!"

"I can't believe you read my diary!"

"It was just a few pages! I didn't mean to!"

"Right, because it was just lying around. In a closed drawer. **Out of sight!**"

"Heh, so he uh- told you all that, huh?"

My hand swung once more for his right cheek, although this time he was quick enough to catch it. Danny then intertwined our fingers to hold me back, and in place, as flames uncontrollably enveloped our hands.

"How much did you read?!"

Danny countered my flames with his own icy gloves. Then when I swung my other hand around he simply repeated the process. The mixture of our power created a vapor escaping our palms.

"Not all of it! A few pages, and it wasn't even anything important, I swear!"

I let go, still glaring at him, "Really?"

"Yes..."

While studying his earnest expression, I shook off the fire then cooled my own emotions, "I need sleep..."

When we were comfortable, on far opposite sides of the enormous bed, I realized how sleep was another unobtainable necessity due to my powers. Still I waited and allowed the silence to slowly sweep the evasive dreariness into my eyes.

"So," Danny broke my beloved silence, "you had a crush on a guy named Julian?"

I shot a pillow at his head.

Yet he persisted, "Do you still like him?"

"Could you just drop it?!"

"It's just a question."

"No! Okay? How could I still like him? It's been half a year and he, along with everyone else, never called."

* * *

_They say some become adventurous, or dormant due to __it__._

* * *

He quit speaking. As drowsiness refused to grace me for the night, I tossed and turned until Danny asked, "Wanna go to the beach?"

I finally retired all efforts of keeping my eyes shut and looked forward to see Danny, wide awake as ever, and spouting nonsense.

I sighed, "You'll have to carry me if you plan on flying."

My eyes had no time to adjust when his transformation rings lit up the room, I winced then pulled the cover over my head. My upper arms were pulled back, and I was easily slipped from my nice warm spot under the covers, and phased through the ceiling. Before I knew it, we were flying over Amity towards the sea.

"Danny?"

"What?"

His hair shined perfectly in the moonlight. Then the confident smirk upon his lips only complimented the fact that his green eyes glistened with a soft soothing glow, making them stand out as he stared down at me. The moment was so perfect, I felt like I could say any number of kind things.

So, I didn't, "There's drool all over your cheek..."

"WHAT?"

When we arrived Danny practically threw me down onto the cool summer-like sand so he could wipe down his cheeks. I stared in awe at the endless flow of salt water. My first time setting foot on a beach. Living in Wisconsin most people die before they even see one of the great oceans, and I got to see the great Pacific. A wave crashed down before me, spraying the ocean at my feet. As I waited for the next one, the heels of my feet sunk into the sand, rubbing into the spaces between my toes.

Danny turned human then came to my side, "Go on, shout manly things at the ocean."

"Manly?" I laughed, "Something along the lines of what my father likes, right?" I cupped my hands into a circle around my mouth and shouted into the echoing distance, "I LOVE WRENCHES, HAMMERS, FISHING, LEATHER BOOTS, AND THOSE LITTLE CUPS OF CREAM THAT COME WITH MY COFFEE!"

Danny knelt over laughing. I even felt a chuckle climbing up my throat, but a lump got in its way. So, in a calm tone I continued, "And I love... my daughter."

I crouched down, hugging my legs while tossing sand needlessly into the water, "My dad never really cared what I did, he loved me in his own way, simply hoping that one day I would change for the better. He didn't know how to handle me otherwise, and I understood that... But my mom... she's so darn hard to please! Geez, why can't she just-" my feet dug sternly into the sand as I stood up tall and yelled, "WHY CAN'T EVERYONE JUST GO AWAY?!"

My emotional burst echoed out, returning rhythmically to my ears like the waves on the shore.

All of a sudden I wished to go deaf.

"That's not manly," Danny scoffed.

"Shut up."

"To do it right you have to shout from the heart."

The heart. What a thing to say. The jewel dangled precariously over my clothing, glimmering with a vile green in the moonlight contradicting to its purple color.

"What heart?"

Danny plopped onto the beach, "Don't say that."

"Whatever..."

"As for your parents I don't know what to tell you, I've never been a delinquent before."

"I was not a delinquent! Its only cause everything fun back then was against the rules for some reason, it's not my fault."

"And your definition of fun is?"

"Anything that makes your blood pump!"

"No wonder you adapted to ghost fighting so quickly..."

* * *

_They say some people cower, or become brave because of __it__._

* * *

Danny and I both peacefully watched the moon reflecting against the shore, rippling over each wave, and brightening up the night.

"Can I kiss you?"

Danny jolted back and crooked his legs in the process, "Wha- why?"

"Cause I like you." I knelt down at his side, "I've liked you for a long time, Danny."

He propped up on his elbows, "But I-"

I pushed Danny down into the sand, hovering loosely above him, slowly leaning closer, "Hm?"

"Y- you're becoming very persuasive."

"You're the real Danny aren't you?"

Danny's eyes flew wide open, "Geh," he literally froze into place. I could feel a chill from where we touched. He must have lost a little control over those icy powers of his.

Danny jerked away, giving me an unsteady sidelong glance, "No, I'm definitely a clone."

"Liar. There have been too many giveaways by now."

Danny scratched his nose, staring into the distance, "Then I guess it would be okay to say it now... I ran into your mom yesterday, she asked me somethings about your ghost half, then put two and two together and... well... She knows I'm Phantom..."

My head drooped, "You idiot..."

"You haven't heard the rest yet!"

"I don't need-!"

"She accepts us!"

"What?"

"She accepts you. Your human half, your ghost half, all of it."

"But... how?"

"What can I say?" He coolly shrugged, "I've got a way with words."

I chuckled, "And so smug," then I buried my face in his chest, holding him close, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Danny patted my back. When I pulled away, still hovering over him, he began fiddling with the sand, "By the way, wh- when did you find out I wasn't a clone?"

"Bit by bit. I didn't trust you from the start, but now I don't care anymore. Can I just have an answer?"

"Are you actually going to?"

"Thinking about it."

"So you're going to be one of those girls that breaks the tradition?"

"What tradition?"

"Well, a guy is inclined to kiss a girl when it's the first time."

"Then pull yourself up."

"Get off me first."

"...nah."

"It wasn't a request..."

"So? Besides that's not an answer."

Danny let his head fall back onto the sand, "Fine. My answer's yes..."

Abrupt, but I didn't mind. Although, with one word my breathing shortened, and triggered a throbbing headache.

It only hurt.

"Never mind," again. It was hard to hold my head up.

"Talk about mood swings..." Danny attempted for humor.

I mockingly chuckled "Hah," then grabbed his hand and placed it firmly against my chest, right beneath where the jewel would usually rest. He twitched and ran a finger over my collarbone while trying to pull back.

"Cali-!" then Danny instantly ceased his efforts to affirm a sudden suspicion, "...Cali?"

"I've hidden it because I never wanted anyone to notice, but of all times, I would love to remember what it feels like now."

"You... your heart," Danny dropped his hand.

"This is my heart," I took the jewel into my palm, "Whatever was in my chest died when I started wearing this. I can still breathe, but it's only to speak. And nowadays, my body chills over, or even stiffens into place if I don't warm it with my powers. It didn't hit me until Vlad spoke up, but Danny... this body is probably already dead."

Danny shoved me off, "That's not true! You'd be a ghost if it was! You took my humanity before, right? So take more! If I can keep you alive until this is all over, then it's fine by me."

I felt like crying. Sacrificing his humanity to save me was a big proclamation, yet he made it so easily. Does he know the consequences? I could be taking five minutes or a year of of his life and neither of us would know since we don't understand how the jewel works. "Why? What if this is killing you?"

"Cause I like you. I've liked you for a long time, Camillia."

A tear escaped me, "Copycat."

Danny confidently looked to the sea, "And proud of it."

We created a circle like before, then basked in the oddly pleasant feelings the ceremony of trading powers brought upon us.

Danny broke out of his trance-like state when I pulled away, "That's it?"

"Well... yeah. I feel sleepy, so I guess that's it."

We stood up. I rubbed my eyes while Danny approached the water.

Danny cupped his hands and yelled, "I LIKE CALI!" Then he crossed his arms and smirked at me, "Manly."

I grinned then shouted, "DANNY'S AN IDIOT!"

"I said something nice, you jerk," he kicked the salty water at me.

I laughed, "So? I still like you. I STILL LIKE DANNY!"

* * *

_They say it is only so, but I can't feel one sided about __it__. Knowing __death__ is near brings forth every emotion you could imagine, there's no __**or**__ involved. Everything comes at once. It's overwhelming. Hard to think strait. Hard to know what you truly want. Then again, it's also just the opposite._


	18. The Enemy of My Enemy

_You're pushing it._

My eyes fluttered open,_ Who said that? _I thought.

"Ah, you're awake," Danny smiled down at me.

I stood up. We were in Vlad's lab.

"Why was I sleeping here?"

Danny looked to the Ghost Portal, "Well, I wanted to wake you up earlier, but you need the sleep. Vlad ended up carrying you here anyway cause he didn't like the thought of us alone in the guest room. He left for the Ghost Zone early this morning."

I approached the doors, "Then let's go too."

"Sure, I guess. Just don't push it," Danny then transformed and disappeared into the portal.

I took a single step forward when flames erupted from the jewel. They swirled together and formed a monstrous hand which enclosed my entire body, swallowing me up.

Darkness. My eyes failed to pick up light from anywhere around me. Yet I could still feel my body, however I could touch nothing else.

_Did I ever wake up? _I wondered.

"Would you like to believe that?" A voice crept through my ear. Filou.

"How nice of you to save me the trouble. Mind erasing your existence for me as well?"

"I would not mind. But not for you," his voice sounded gruff. Like how it was when we first met.

"Oh?" I lit a flame, but couldn't see it, "Stop fooling around!" I yelled. The one time I can fight, with all of the adrenaline surging through my veins, itching to at least hit him. Yet I can't so much as touch him cause I can't see? "Why can't you fight fair? For once?! For so long you've hid, and even now, you took my sight so I can't confirm that it's you!"

There was a sudden tug at my necklace. I swiped at where I felt it, but attacked nothing.

Filou sighed, a wavering, emotional breath as if he was staving off a sorrowful emotion, "Why must you resist?"

"As long as I can, I'll do whatever it takes to stay alive!"

"But this is the end. Would you like a final battle? One last hurrah to give it your all?"

"Give me that, and you won't survive. I assure it."

"Then... I will be waiting. To find me, you'll know where to go," his voice faded as I returned to reality.

"Cali!" Danny shouted.

I picked myself off of the floor in Vlad's lab once more, "What happened?"

"You tell me, I came back and you were passed out."

"Danny... pinch me."

He wasted no time to squeeze a small portion of my skin between his fingers. I jumped then slapped his hand.

The corners of his mouth fell for getting scolded on what he was told to do, "Anything else?"

"No. Thanks. Let's go."

We turned ghost then flew into the Ghost Zone.

"Should we split up?" Danny asked.

"No, it's this way," I descended into the endless green of the Ghost Zone.

Danny flew beside me, "You sound so sure."

"Well, my gut is saying it's down there."

"Cali!" Vlad shouted. He and Skulker came to greet us with the Fenton Finder in hand.

"H- heeeey," Danny pointed at the device, "That is property of the Fenton's!"

"Oh, hush boy," Vlad pushed Danny aside. Then he took my hand, and spun me in a twirl to examine my ghostly form, "Did you eat breakfast?"

"N-no," I answered, "but thanks to you I feel fine and well rested."

"Hm," He narrowed his eyes, "you do look a bit better than yesterday," he tousled my hair with a gentle smile upon his face, "A bit more of my home cooking, and you'll be as good as new. Now" He gripped my shoulder and frowned, "Why are you two here?"

"Same reason as you, obviously." I pointed down, "Looking for-"

"Me?" Filou quickly flew between us then landed haphazardly on the tip of a blade lodged into the roof of his mansion.

_When did he do that?_ Filou and his home seemed to appear out of thin air. Each of us glanced around at each other then back to Filou before we could convince ourselves that he was actually there. Skulker, who had been searching tirelessly for him since the day we met, had gone into shock. Why is he here? How is he here? And so easily!

I took a raging fireball into my hand then tossed it directly at him. Filou grinned, and with a flick of the wrist, scattered it into sparks. It rained around him like a firework.

Filou admired the appearance, "A beautiful entrance, don't you agree?"

Everyone stood at attention.

"That's Filou?" Danny raised an eyebrow.

"He just looks like a joker cause that's what he wants you to see. He'll disguise as anyone, so be alert," I quickly replied.

Filou tapped a finger against his tilted chin, "Another hybrid?"

I wearily floated closer to Danny.

Filou smirked, "Do not worry, Camillia, I would never replace you. Besides, a boy would never befit the jewel. Now, will you begin?" with open arms he welcomed me with a smile. I couldn't bring myself to feel disgusted. Although he initiated our battle with those words, I wanted to fly forward and return the friendly greeting. Why?!

I floated back. Despite my mixed emotions, I know it's never wise to attack first, "I'll play my cards after you."

"Then," Filou placed his hand on a rusty sword lodged into the chimney. Swinging it loose, forward and back, till the sharp end came free. Then he lunged forward, pulling it above his head, and aiming it at mine. It plunged down, but with glowing palms, Vlad caught it. He held it in place, while they both attempted to overpower one another at a standstill.

Vlad gave a derided comment, "Go for a pawn, and you'll only bring yourself closer to the king."

Filou took on a new appearance. Skin peeled from his cheeks, an eyeball rolled off his cheek with the optic still attached causing it to dangle, and blood endlessly poured from his mouth like puke.

I had to turn away to hold in my meal. Skulker held a hand over his mouth, and Danny became a tint of green.

While everyone distracted themselves by looking elsewhere, Filou sliced Vlad across the chest. Vlad spiraled down and took temporary shelter on a floating rock to recover from the blow. Then Filou fired a Ghost Ray at the rest of us. The power coursed through my body like spikes pouring over my insides in liquid form. Afterwards the slightest movement I made sent burning pinpricks over my appendages. I couldn't move.

Filou held up a finger, swaying it like the pendulum on a metronome, "As you should already be aware, playing your king early leaves the rest of your pieces vulnerable."

The quickest one to bounce back was Danny, "But that doesn't mean we can't fight back!" He swung for Filou's head.

Filou easily ducked, then countered with an uppercut. Danny got struck on the chin and spun backwards. Then Skulker took advantage of the opening Danny made to shoot Filou with a net. It wrapped around Filou's body, trapping him.

Skulker smirked, "Imagine, the infamous Filou mounted on my wall!"

"Pathetic," Filou taunted Skulker over his shoulder, "You appear as a fearsome hunter," Suddenly Filou took on Skulkers true form, a small, red eyed, green creature, "Yet you're truly no bigger than a mouse."

"Silence!" Skulker shot him with Ectoplasmic Goo. It engulfed Filou's current form.

"Absolutely," Filou feigned a cowardly appearance, covered in goo, with Skulkers face, "pitiful."

"I said **silence**!" Skulker darted at him.

I flew for Skulker shouting, "Stop!"

But it was too late. Skulker spun Filou around to punch him in the face, but inevitably made eye contact. In no time Filou was swimming in his brain, fumbling with memories.

I tackled Skulker out of the way onto the porch of Filou's home. His metallic body seemed lifeless, not glowing, and unresponsive. I popped off his head and wrapped my hands around his body. His chest rose with every breath, yet he wouldn't move.

I snapped, "What did you do to him?!"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Filou leisurely floated out of the net.

I dangled the jewel over a small fire from my hand.

His eyebrow raised, "Desperate?"

The flame intensified, "Well?!"

"I simply toyed with his memory."

I shook Skulker.

Filou's lips twisted into a wicked smile, "The knowledge of awakening is involuntary, yet so easy to erase."

I gasped, "Erase?" _I've never been able to do that_, I thought, _did he really?_ I shook my head, _Memories, although easily buried, can't be destroyed or tossed out. They're ingrained into the tangled threads of our consciousness. I can only cut the threads and sew them into my own mind, or weave over them. Why should his power be any different?_

I opened Skulker's eyes to peer inside. The first thing I encountered was his dream. He was with Ember.

I flinched, "Ew, gross. He **does** have a girlfriend."

"What are you up to?" Filou lunged at me after retrieving his sword.

Danny trapped him in a full nelson, "Oh no you don't."

However Filou was still flying closer, just half the speed.

Vlad clashed into Filou's sword with an ectoplasmic spear.

Vlad wearily grinned, "Forgetting someone?"

Filou gritted his teeth.

Danny slowly froze Filou's body from the shoulders down, although it's apparent Danny's also still shaken from the previous attack. Sadly, even Vlad had a hard time moving with so much blood leaving his body from the wound earlier.

While I untangled Skulkers memories Vlads spear scrapped off. They swung back around, one swinging left, while the other went opposite causing metal to once again cling together, screeching, and flinging off sparks each time the metal skidded off the tip.

"Found it!" I mentally tugged at his memory of how to regain consciousness, and sewed it back into its proper spot.

"A word of advice," Filou's finger faintly flickered, but I knew what it was.

"Danny back off!" I flung my arm out.

Danny drifted off, Vlad even jerked away. Yet the inferno still engulfed them. Filou sent flames out in a sudden explosion, then just as quickly, cooled down.

They were violet flames. My flames.

Filou slouched over, his back shook up and down in rhythm with his laugh, "It's never wise to revive the fallen until after the battle has ended."

His palm reached for me, threatening, and sparking. I threw Skulker safely back into his armor then clasped the lid shut when fire stuck.

I rolled my shoulders as it burned out, "You know flames don't affect me."

"And them?" Filou pointed to Danny and Vlad. Their clothes which were half in tatters revealed skin which had burned off, blotted like pink and red puddles over their skin.

Although the pain had to sear and ache with each movement, they stood front and center.

"We're fine," Danny quavered.

Filou smirked. He readied another Ghost Ray, bouncing the power from hand to hand as he pondered which of us should be hit first.

Danny puffed out his chest, taking in a large amount of air. Then he threw his head forward wailing out a deafening spectral moan that reverberated and wavered as if more than one person was howling.

Filou's ghostly attack dissipated. He covered his ears, wincing until it became overwhelming and sent him flying. Although Vlad and I were far from where the Ghostly Wail hit, we crouched over, hiding our ears till it ended.

Danny leaned forward, his limps limply floating down as the last of his power depleted. He had turned completely human. And his eyes looked as though they were begging for rest.

Filou scrunched his hair in a rage, eyes flickering with hatred as he darted straight for Danny. Filou's nails dug under Danny's skin as he squeezed, and held him up by the neck, "**Impudence!**"

Danny lost the power to resist, his face drained of color as only his eyes showed any sign of life as they squeezed shut.

"Danny!" I flew at him, but staggered in midair. My mind perceived the world slower than what my eyes saw, causing me to dizzy out for a second.

Luckily as I hesitated Vlad reached him first, "That's enough!" Vlad sliced Filou's left arm.

Filou twisted back, yelping in pain.

Vlad took the opportunity to grab Danny and toss him at me. I carried Danny to the porch and set him next to Skulker.

Filou went at Vlad with flames, scratching, and punching wildly, but clumsily enough for Vlad to dodge and land a few hits.

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked Danny.

He cleared his throat, "Yeah, I-" he stopped to gasp away the pain and hold back a cough, "I'll be fine. Just peachy."

His neck outlined in red where Filou grabbed him. Then dots of red pooled over where Filou's nails pierced Danny's skin.

"You looked really cool out there."

His eyes were still to weary too open, so he simply smirked, "Really?"

"Yeah," I held his hand, "But it's time to tag out."

"Good luck," he peeked one eye at me, smiling.

"Yeah yeah."


	19. And Then

My left arm tugged down as if weights were attached, although we're in the midst of battle, it's horribly difficult to move. Still, I'm physically fine. Meanwhile, Vlad's chest wound still seeped over, sullying his nice white suit with an unrelenting downpour of blood. Skulker's memories, although untangled, weren't affixed properly into their correct places. Since I don't know where his personal memories piece together with the practical ones, he won't wake up until his mind can sort things out on it's own. And Danny, who wasted his power to deal a great amount of damage to Filou, can no longer fight. They've all taken heat for my battle. And I haven't gotten so much as a scratch, yet I'm tired. Pathetic.

I ignited a fire in my palm. While focused on Vlad, Filou's back is wide open.

"Two soldiers remain," while holding Vlad's weapon in place, Filou grinned over his shoulder at me, "Or would it be more appropriate to say the novelty partnership blooms once more? Ahh, how nostalgic."

Vlad and I exchanged odd glances until the memory hit me, "We were the first to meet you, and the last to be fighting."

Vlad shoved him away, "Why point out such meaningless details?"

We eased into hesitant battle stances as Filou drew his arms out in front of himself.

I leaned in, "What're you-?"

Filou faded into nothing.

Red glowing eyes met mine as Filou reappeared mere inches from me, "Could it be, you have forgotten," his voice started low, then raised excitedly, "It was wonderful, you believe. Life was beautiful, you know. Everything was perfect before you met me. How many nights did you sleep with such thoughts?"

"I- get out of my head!" I pushed back, "Yeah. I may have, once, but... things change." I studied Vlad and Danny, "I love the life that's been given to me; my family, and friends, have made that so." The jewel warmed under my touch, "To get rid of this jewel when it first came into my grasp, yes, I would've given anything, but I've forgotten all that now! All that matters is getting rid of you!"

He grabbed me, "Au contraire, you need only remember."

Suddenly I was at Vlad's side. Filou's hand on my arm began to collapse, bending at the elbow as his face also distorted like wax becoming liquid. Everything around us was melting.

"No!" I reached out, as all the world dissolved into black.

"Au revoir," Filou's words pattered into nothing.

* * *

We somehow ended up in Vlad's lab.

"Ugh, he did it again. Again!" I pounded the floor, "We have to hurry, Danny's still-," I rushed to the portal.

"Camillia," Vlad's barely audible voice weakly entered my ear.

He was curled up in human form, clutching his chest as blood pooled onto the floor.

"Old man," I trembled while fumbling for the First Aid Kit.

His face was paling, hands shaking, and he couldn't even scold me for breaking a beaker while I was searching for the First Aid Kit. So, I broke another for good measure, but he still didn't notice. Must be painful.

When he was patched up, I left, and entered the Ghost Zone.

"Alright," I grumbled as I returned, climbing back from the Ghost Zone into the lab. One step through the portal, and I fell, if I hadn't grabbed the edge of the portal, I would have splatted onto the floating island fifty feet below. I couldn't transform. "Once more... Goin' Ghost!" I punched the air as Danny would whenever he changed, yet nothing happened. "Not even the battle cry helped..."

I peeked though the portal, and experienced a dramatic change in scenery. Filou's home had disappeared along with Danny and Skulker, even the surroundings of the Ghost Zone looked different. I sat at Vlad's side, he had slept from the pain, and I wondered if I should do the same.

I slapped myself, "What is this?!" I glanced at the beaker I broke for fun, even rethought my sudden behavior, "Why am I so mellow about this, Danny and Skulker are in danger, that didn't change! Even Vlad," I gritted my teeth. It seemed to become increasingly harder to understand my cooling emotions as time continued to pass.

I stood up, feet firmly on the ground as I gathered all my power to turn ghost. All I could muster up was a grumbling stomach.

"What a joke," I gripped my belly.

My eyes flew open, blurring in shock. I placed my hand higher, slowly and steadily counting each feeling.

A heartbeat.

So contrary to how I once knew it. Often times I would pretend the feeling was there, and reality was so much more comforting then what I fantasized of. Lightly pattering against my chest plate, increasing as my happiness grew. Eventually I drifted against the wall, dozing off with the feeling lulling me to bed.

* * *

"Cali," someone tugged my hand, "Camilia Nought!"

I snapped back to reality, "What?"

"Are you listening to me? Honestly," Mom huffed her anger into a sigh, "How dare you go against me like that!"

"What did I do?"

"What did you-?" She rolled her head in disbelief, "Coming home whenever you feel like is **not** going to start now! It's seven in the morning, **in the morning**, Camillia. Do you know how worried I was? Honestly, I want this to happen now, Ms. Camillia Nought, get rid of those good for nothing friends, or so help me, you will switch schools."

"They- what?! Where did that come from?! My friends have nothing to do with-!"

"Nonono! I don't want to hear it!" Mom waved her arms around, "Eat dinner, and get ready for school. You're probably going to be late, and I will not have you missing a day because of your bad behavior."

She stormed upstairs as I headed to the kitchen and pulled out last nights Spaghetti, "Wouldn't this actually be breakfast?"

* * *

_This is wrong._ I entered the front doors and found my friends near the snack machines. As usual, they continued to talk as if I wasn't there. I glanced down the hall, a mess of students scattered against the walls and in classes, were bunched into their usual groups. _Something's missing_. I wiped a bit of sweat from my neck.

"Even though it's chilly in Wisconsin, I guess it is kind of hot indoors, hm?" Julian smiled at me.

"Yeah," I absently nodded.

"See ya guys," Julian waved to the rest of our crowd then dragged me away.

As we walked the halls a name came to me, "Hey Julian, have you seen Danny?"

"Who's that?"

"Ya know Danny..." I rolled my eyes, "Never mind, he's probably from a show I watch."

"You watch too many cartoons."

"You're one to talk," I playfully punched him.

He smirked then stared at the walls, "Say, about what you said yesterday."

"Yesterday?" I tilted my head, _Yesterday I was..." _The image of a beach flickered in my mind. I shook away the thought,_ Impossible. I was here I guess_, I crinkled my eyebrows, "What did I say?"

"You know," he narrowed his eyes, "you said you liked me."

My heart skipped a beat, _I'm an idiot!_ I couldn't look at him as my thoughts jumbled into a panic, _I'm the stupidest person alive- oh my gosh, I'm an idiot!_

He continued, "You were acting a bit strange, so maybe, I think, it was a bit harsh when I said we should stay friends. I'm sorry, I just don't feel the same, I mean I like you, but as a friend. It would be weird to date you, cause I just can't picture you that way."

I threw my hands up defensively, "N-no, it's fine! I actually forgot myself, so it doesn't matter, can we just pretend like it never happened, or something? I don't want things to be awkward between us."

"Yeah, that sounds good." We got to class, he sat at my table for art and said, "You forgot? Seriously?"

"Well, somehow... I donno. I thought I liked you but..."

"But? What? Don't tell me you like someone else?"

"No."

* * *

"Blasted!" Vlad tinkered with the portal. It had shut down since the last time he used it, "Confounded thing!" he kicked it.

I took a picture with my phone then bit into the sandwich I had found in his fridge, "That move. That kick, right there. Now that was cool. When I put this online, women will flock, I'm tellin' ya."

"You think so?" his eyes sparkled.

I paused, "Yes."

He grumbled at the portal's metallic remains, "Why do I even bother?"

"You tell me, Old Man. Why not spend your time doing something meaningful? Like- ... What... What's fun around here?"

"How should I know?"

"I know! Fly me to the beach!"

"Fly yourself."

"I can't afford airline tickets..." I drooped forward, accidentally dropping mustard onto the tile floor.

Vlad raised an eyebrow.

So, I dropped a bit more.

He turned around.

I put the sandwich down then took off. With his ghostly powers though, he was before me before I knew it.

"You never win, why try?" He flew at me with a smirk, I grinned and slid underneath him, into the kitchen.

"I can outrun ya any day, Old Man!"

I searched the cupboard then pulled out ketchup and mustard.

"You wouldn't dare." he crossed his arms.

I squeezed the ketchup as Vlad turned away. With his cape in plain view, I smiled and wrote his age in big numbers on it.

"What?!" Vlad looked it over, "How dare you!"

I laughed. He took the ketchup then wrote my age on my hair.

"Heeey! Uncool!" I pulled at the ends of my hair as he laughed. "Intangibility, now!"

"It flatters you, really," he said between laughs.

"Yeah? Well, red flatters you." I said while drenching him in ketchup.

"Alright, alright!" he simmered down.

After using intangibility to clean up, it was time to go.

Vlad walked me halfway home, as he normally did

"Say," I stopped, "how's your wound?"

He touched his chest, "Oh, I-" he raised an eyebrow, "What wound?"

"Never mind," I sighed, "I really don't wanna go home."

"Troubles again?"

"Yeah, it's... lately my mom gets mad over the dumbest stuff."

Vlad patted my head, "These things will sort themselves out in due time."

"Yeah..."


	20. I Promise

The thing's I feel like I should remember are slowly fading away. As I look at my friends, I remember less and less of the lost feeling in my heart. Weeks have passed. I remember trying to piece together what felt wrong. Slowly those pieces were thrown out. Gone from me. And now that it's gone, I should no longer worry. But the fact that it's missing leaves all the more confusion in my mind.

"A part of me wants to care about it, but just a small part."

"And what would that be?" Vlad asked.

We were currently traveling down the road carrying materials for his portal.

I kicked the dirt, "It bugs me. Life's just not right. Don't you feel it?"

"As long as you're here, my life is as right as rain," he smiled.

I wasn't expecting such a nice compliment. Being around a yelling mother, and uncaring friends had left me huddled away into a cold shell of numbness. I unwillingly responded, "Creep."

"So you say," he grinned, and got all giddy, "yet you smile."

I bumped him, laughing, "back off, Old Man."

"Ah," he looked to the sky, "It's snowing. Lovely, don't you agree?"

"Ice..." I stared at the snow falling onto my nose, "Couldn't he just... make it?"

"Who?"

"You know-" The usual swipe of emotions hit me. Every time I attempted to remember what caused me unease, my mind convinced me not to care. I dropped the materials, gripping my head. Focusing so I wouldn't forget.

"Camillia?!" Vlad dropped to his knees beside me, "Are you harmed?"

"Who makes ice?!" I shouted, skimming my memories.

"There are many ghosts-"

"No! He's like us. He-"

"We share no similarities, Camillia."

"We do! Or else, why am I here?"

My left arm twinged.

Vlad dropped to the ground, gasping, and holding his chest, "Right," Vlad laughed, "You two manipulate memories. It's no mystery why I felt nothing was amiss until now."

"Then-" The scenery around us wavered, but soon it settled back into place. I couldn't force myself to break this world of lies. The energy wasted so far felt too great. If I used anymore it could possibly hurt our subconscious. On a brighter note, the haze cleared. Like a lucid dream, I could properly recall my ghostly powers, and how to use them.

I brought Vlad to his feet, "What usually wakes you up from a dream?"

Vlad shook his head, staving off the pain, "Fear. Getting surprised. Falling."

"This world of memories, it's probably a dream he created from our minds since everything carries such vivid details."

"Then we shall treat the dream as such?"

"Well," I backed off while manipulating our dream. By my will the world was thrown into a consuming darkness, "Are you scared of the dark?"

"No." He responded in the nothing, "But the creeping feeling up my back is a nice touch."

I brought us back the light, "Yeah thanks."

The place gave me comfort, so I recreated Vlad's lab around us for proper thought.

"Is this how all of your dreams are?" Vlad glanced around the room in amazement, "It's truly extraordinary." He picked up the pieces of a broken beaker, "Even the detail is remarkable!"

"Thanks, but no. The world here is partially created with his power, so it doesn't take much effort to rearrange, and recreate it. You should be able to manipulate it as well since you're so aware of it now."

"Really?" he raised an eyebrow.

Although faint, the blur of a lush green field carpeted with vibrant purple flowers filled the scenery around us. But soon the drab lab returned, leaving me wanting to see more.

"What was that?" I asked.

Vlad held his head, the strain of recreating that memory must have been too much, "If only for this time, I'm delighted you witnessed it... That was something I discovered by chance." He sat with me on the ground, "When I first gained the freedom my powers bestowed upon me, my flying was... well," he chuckled, "worse than yours."

I laughed, "No joke?"

"If only it was. After practicing for some time, I honed enough skills to maintain a steady flight. Although, the day I decided to test my limits the wind did not favor me. It sent me way off course. I landed, as you saw, in an open field," He sat back, breathing in the memory behind closed eyes, "The flowers practically invited me there. So, since I knew I was lost and tired, I fell into the center of that field. The scent was crisp, fresh. Even the clouds seemed to stop. It was the first time I didn't think, and took a break from all of my earthly cares."

He enjoyed that a simple memory in such an imaginative way. If I was able to see his memory now, would I feel what he remembers?

Nevertheless, I could only smile, "Sounds heavenly. I'd like to visit it sometime."

"You will," Vlad slowly returned from his thoughts. The corners of his mouth lightly tipped up. His gaze softened. And he caressed my hair in a gentle, fatherly manner, "I promise."

The lab blanketed into a change of scenery. We took to our feet.

Vlad and I reappeared in a homely room. From the corner of my eye I created a glass-like paw, black in color. As the paw turned a corner into our safe area it brought forth the body of a shadowy lion. The tips of its mane dripped with blood which flowed more fluidly each time we lost our breath. It's eyes gleamed with an unearthly red light, burning brighter as it came upon us. The lion stepped closer, each paw print it left behind held a corrupted dream, a poor dying soul could be spotted in one, while other paw prints gave window into a monsters domain. I feigned fright and slid behind Vlad, studying his reaction.

"Scared?" I asked.

The lion roared with screams from our forgotten nightmares.

"Chilling," He stood still, flat as a board. So I affixed Vlad's body into place.

The lion continually stepped forward, no rush in it's steps as it came to my side. By my earlier action of freezing him in place, Vlad could no longer follow the lion with his eyes. He held his breath as it left his sight. At that moment I slapped Vlad's back with both arms, mimicking a lion's pounce. He vanished in that instant, and returned to reality.

An echo took Vlad's place in the room.

"He's out," I ran my hand trough the lion's mane. Under my touch it took the true form of Vlad's cat. It purred and licked my hand before I dismissed it into the depths of my memories, "But how do I scare myself?"

* * *

**A/N: Thank you reviewers!**

**Yaaay, ****tardis-blue-jay**** and ****its-ackim95****! I'm so glad you two got confused xD all according to plan :3**

**RtheAwesome****, thanks!**

**DestinyJoyHope****, this is late, but thank you for the consistent reviews!**


	21. Full Circle

A blinding shimmer of light hit me. I lifted a hand to cover my eyes, but couldn't pinpoint where it shined from. Soon the light escalated, engulfing the entire room until I could no longer see.

_What's going on?_ I thought, _I'm not creating this light._

Suddenly the floorboards shattered. I fell through the ground and into an endless whirl of flashing colors. Nothing tangible reached me no matter how my mind beckoned.

Falling.

Falling.

Like the earth below no longer existed.

"STOOOOOP," I screamed.

Reality hit me all at once. No longer in the free floating dream world, but the heavy real world.

"Oh, yay!" Vlad tightly embraced me, "You have awoken!"

"Yes, I'm up!" I shoved him away, "Now what- ulp," I held back a throat full of burning acid. However, my equilibrium hindered any attempt to suppress the puke as it convinced me at every second I would fall, or the world would drop me even when I sat down. I cradled my head. The unsteadiness stubbornly refused to wane, "What did you do to me?"

Danny spoke up from where he laid, "He spun you in circles by the feet till you woke up."

"And the light?" I asked.

A glimmer caused me to turn back to Vlad. Vlad's hand lit up with a dazzling ectoplasmic beam. It brightened his already peppy smile which stupidly spread from ear to ear.

I punched him.

"Wait, where's Filou?!" I surveyed the surrounding area, yet everything appeared fine.

"After Filou put you two to sleep," Danny struggled to sit up, "He disappeared into the house. I brought you two onto the porch, but," Danny gave into his pain and fell back, "Shaking, slapping, even freezing you didn't work. I thought you two slipped into a coma."

I glared at Vlad, "Then how did spinning me make a difference?"

He shrugged with an earnest smile, "You said so yourself that **I** could manipulate Filou's illusionary world as well. I tampered with your dream so that it would alter to where you lost control if I left. Then after that plan fell into place, I continued to help you awaken by playing on your nerves in the real world, spinning you around and such." His head fell, and a slight breath left on the next word, "But really, I cannot take all the credit for our daring escape."

Vlad pointed to Danny. Danny looked around then hesitantly asked, "Wh- what?"

Vlad crossed his arms, adorning a smile, "Daniel, it was your ice that brought awareness to Cali in the dream world. It came in the form of snow. And although the memory should have been long forgotten, Camillia remembered you in that instant. Because of you, we were able to realize that the place we had been living in was not a state of reality."

I straightened up to that epiphany, "Danny's the reason I remembered?"

Danny chuckled, breaking a quick smile as he shyly waved.

I smiled to him, "Thanks."

"No prob," he replied.

Vlad's mouth pulled back with his own defeated emotions. He swiftly turned his back to us, "Yes... I had not even the faintest suspicion of the danger's we- I put Camillia in. In fact, I found a sort of bliss in that past world. For all my power, I could do nothing until you intervened. Disgraceful. However for that, Daniel, I am in your debt."

Danny first squinted, then rolled his eyes, and concentrated on a thought, "Just to confirm something. We're all awake? Cause if this debt is real, I want VIP access to The Space Center! But first, are you sure you don't still hate me?"

"Oh no, I definitely hate you. Why Camillia loves you is beyond my comprehension, but I digress..."

"Right," I gazed upon the overbearing home, "Filou."

Vlad dropped his hand on my shoulder. A comfortable warm feeling I've experienced many times before. Although, something about his somber tone this time felt distant as he spoke, "This is the forefront of your war, Camillia. With a stationary target, I can only gift you one last grain of advice... Surprise attacks are only effective once. Make this count."

"Yes," I let each word sink in. The tides could change in a second. I could bring Filou a tidal wave. Then he could turn around with a tsunami.

I'll simply have to hit him before he can build that counterattack. Shock him into commission in one fell swoop.

_But at what cost?_

I shook my head, "We all came so far." Vlad and I flew to the porch, I put my hand on the knob and took a deep breath, "After this our lives with be washed free of Filou... You know all this is your fault?" I smirked at Vlad, a bit of sass in my tone.

Vlad turned quickly to that, flashing me an innocent smile. However in his eyes, I could clearly see the dull shine of regret.

I opened the door. We glanced over the familiar layout as I spoke, "But for my naive self, this whole ordeal is on me," I scoffed, "I should have turned away the moment you seemed suspicious, Old Man... But that wasn't me... In life no matter how many times I run, I've only ever known how to came back. And believe it or not, I'm glad I did. Although devious, you were the only one to understand me. You also gave me the chance to meet so many kind people. And well, I don't want to lie anymore, I love you for that."

Vlad locked his sights on the ground. His eyebrows knitted together. Vlad then rolled his head, slowly and thoughtfully, as he dabbed some newfound sweat from his neck, "That's-" Through a relieved breath he smiled, "I'm glad to hear that."

"Alright already, can we go?" Danny climbed up from his knees, wobbling, and finally toppling against Vlad's back.

"Oh great," Vlad spoke derisively, "let's send him in first as a distraction. The walking dead. It would be sure to make me laugh."

I smacked Vlad's shoulder before responding to Danny, "I hate to say it, but he's right. You should stay here and-"

Danny took his ghostly form, "And watch you two return in shreds? No. If I can make a difference with what little power I have left, I will."

To that I grinned, "I'm actually glad you say that, Danny. Vlad," I pulled him to Danny's side, "You have an ability to empower his ghostly form, right? Danny told me awhile back that you forced his transformation."

Vlad rolled his eyes, "Well... I suppose. But what difference would that make if he cannot take two steps without nearly dying?"

"Oh, you know! Teamwork!" I shot them a thumbs-up.

To that they snapped into opposite directions, their noses crinkled, and lips drawn up.

I grabbed their hands, forcing them to look me in the eye, "Aw, I love you guys. Please, get along?"

Red fluttered across their faces. The word love was still new to the two of them, so the impact of it has yet to be handled properly.

Danny stuttered on response, "Just this once."

While Vlad took no time to say, "Well, alright."

I smiled. They're so easy to manipulate.

When our plans were put into place, I took the lead as we floated through his home. Family paintings lined the walls. Lively figurines of mythical creatures scattered about the shelves, and even varnished furniture was set in places. Instead of haunted, Filou's home exhibits a more homely feel than last time.

Danny whispered, "This place looks like it could fall apart at any second."

I looked around the sturdy house. Vlad and Danny must see this home the way Vlad and I saw it when we first entered months ago. I took the jewel into my grasp. With it's power I can see what this place truly is. Whether or not the scenery is an illusion the jewel is letting me see, I couldn't tell, but this is what he gazes upon. This tidy home with memories scattered about the halls is what Filou always sees.

We drew increasingly closer to the room in the far back. The room where we first met Filou. I summoned forth a power, and allowed it to drench into my skin.

"How do I look?" I asked Vlad.

"Fine, why?"

I smiled, "It's nothing."

We stepped into the room. In the center an empty pedestal stood, and he was leaning against it. Filou. He lifted his head calmly as if he had just awoken from a deep slumber.

A veil of caution fell over me as his crimson eyes met mine. Yet I still stepped forward while Danny and Vlad slipped by in invisible forms. Pseudo happiness covered my features, as I dashed forward and encased Filou in my arms.

A slight humor jumped into my tone as I looked directly into Filou's eyes and joyfully drawled out, "Daddy."


	22. When We Part

Danny and Vlad's mission was to sneak around in transparent form, and freeze Filou. Yet there they were; visible and dumbfounded mere inches from Filou's back. Filou had knelt down to grasp me, and in that position with my head resting on his shoulder I was able to see the two clearly. Danny held his hand in midair, unmoving, yet almost touching him. Vlad's mouth formed a perfect 'o' while he had Danny up in a sideways embrace for the attack.

Beyond the shock a flash of pure revulsion came over their faces seconds later. They directed the look at the back of Filou's head, yet I couldn't help but wince apologetically for not warning them.

Suddenly, I was pushed to arms length, staring Filou in the eyes once more.

"My daughter." Filou said between gasps of bewilderment. His mouth crooked into a fragile, shivering smile.

As my first attempt at utilizing Filou's illusionary powers, I had not anticipated such success. The power itself tinged like a spider crawling all over my body. Although I can't see a difference, I know the illusion works by seeping emotions into my skin from the eye of the beholder. The emotions a father would feel for his daughter are being pulled from his mind, and embedded in my skin.

Filou's lower lip curled upward, his jaw tightened, "I'm sorry," his voice quivered, "I'm so sorry."

"You-" I paused, would my voice also change to match my face under the power of illusion? Or would he hear the real me? Either way, there's no turning back now, "You've done nothing wrong to me, Father."

I gleamed into Filou's eyes, and searched his memories. Then I switched off his sense of pain while Danny finally went through with the plan, and began to freeze Filou's body into place.

"Right," his eyes fell to the floor.

So much regret, hesitation, and fear played out on his features. An unwelcome wave of compassion came upon me as I spoke, "What troubles you?"

"You-" Filou carried on in a softer tone, "You died. It's my fault. It's all my fault, I should have-" he paused, "But no matter," he caressed my cheek, "You will return soon." Then his gaze shifted. He met my eyes with a different kind of regret, one filled with pity, "you feel it don't you?"

I froze. That wasn't directed at his daughter. Was he speaking to me? Although, I already knew in the back of my mind that he, of all people, would see through the ruse before I even had a chance to play it out. But then again, why would he react that way if he knew I wasn't his daughter?

I immediately dropped my disguise and allowed the illusion to fade, "When did you figure it out?"

His head fell reluctantly, "It's time I've explained," suddenly he vanished. Danny and Vlad tumbled forward, catching themselves in time to grab Filou and shove him against the wall when he reappeared at my side.

"What's going on?" Danny's eyes flittered from me to Filou.

"You're feeling her, aren't you?" Filou grunted out as they pressed harder.

And suddenly I knew what he was talking about, "I've felt," I shivered at a sudden chill in the air, "memories. Foreign emotions I can't explain. Flowers, feelings, family. They're not mine, but..."

"They're her's..."

"You're daughter..." I took the Jewel in hand. My eyes widened as I understood the information I read from his mind in the park long ago, "This Jewel of Ectocide doesn't actually hold immense power. It was never even a weapon, was it? The seeds it was created from were weapons, but not the Jewel. So, what is it?"

Filou disappeared once more, reappearing near me to take hold of the Jewel, "It's a healing chamber of sorts. A lock to preserve her soul – my daughter's soul – in stasis. Slowly fed by your life," he stroked my hair, "to re-materialized a spectral body for my daughter."

"So the Jewel really isn't a weapon," I chanced a glace at Vlad, he wasn't disappointed like I expected, but he was something I could faintly recognize as... terrified. I shook the thought and pressed on, "It's meant to steal my life entirely, and bring her back from what I understand. But... she's a ghost," Danny and Vlad looked ready to pounce, so I held up a hand to keep them at bay while we conversed. "How is she even 'dead'? And putting that aside, why does she need my human life? Why not just my ghostly half?"

"She needs to live. Us ghosts that can travel between here and the human world, do you really believe we are truly dead? We are remnants of who we once were, clinging to the human emotions we lost with a spark of humanity still alive within us to keep us restless and moving. My daughter needs your spark of humanity to come alive, then she will possess your ghostly body to reform her own."

I shivered, "Then the soul," I held tight to the Jewel, "Where is the soul suppose to go when you ghosts truly die?"

"Does that matter? You have lost."

I gestured to Vlad and Danny, "Yeah right! We outnumber you."

He towered over me, "Just be thankful that doesn't mean more casualties. Really Camillia, you're losing, yet no has died. Not once did you find this wrong?"

"What's that suppose to mean?" I spat back.

"It's so simple, yet you don't realize... This whole time, I have only been extending your life with each fancy trick, it will soon end. My dear, you have been planning, not plotting the ending to our duel."

I backed away, suddenly frightened, "No, you couldn't- I... It doesn't-"

"This battle has been too perfect from the start," Vlad stepped in as realization washed over all of us, "The way you and your house simply appeared out of nowhere. Even though we've spent countless days searching..."

My voice was almost a whisper, "It's because I told you I wanted a final battle. So you did," I choked out an empty chuckle, "You gave me a final battle."

"Yes. Although," he raised his weary old hand, "I am already dead, my soul has vanished. This form, even from the moment we met for the first time so long ago, was merely an illusion the Jewel kept from what remained of my spirit. I am the guardian of the Jewel of Ectocide now. However, that does not mean I wasn't real once. I am indeed father to the spirit of the girl resting inside the Jewel, I gave my life so she would have a chance to live again... Funny," he gave a breathy laugh, "I had not expected this."

"What?" I snapped.

"From the moment of its creation I have been guarding the Jewel from the afterlife, hiding inside it, and since you began wearing it I have watched you. I chose you on a whim, the perfect candidate; half-human, half-ghost. I saw you the moment your guardian brought you here," His glance slid momentarily to Vlad. Vlad's jaw tightened, yet he remained silent for Filou to continue, "I told you the Jewel would take your life. Yet... you continued. Camillia, you continued to live. How can I-" he paused while his eyes looked anywhere but me, "I tried to resent you, kept taunting you, hoping that if you hated me then maybe I could do the same in return. Yet, now that we're here- why is it so hard?! You love, and are loved, you learn, live, hate, laugh! Why do you have to be so much... like her..."

Vlad gently approached Filou, "If that's true, than let her go. Let Cali go."

Filou exhaled sharply, a rueful smile played across his face as he fell lightly against the center pillar, "why do you think I've tried hating her? Its irreversible. I just thought you two," he gestured to Vlad and Danny, "would like some closure..."

"We don't need it. This is going to end now, we **will** save Cali," Danny firmly replied.

"Fair enough," Filou shrugged, "I will not say I regret my actions, because I do not. Giving my daughter a second chance has lifted my spirits beyond belief." He smiled, his eyes set in the middle distance as he spoke with a sentimental yet detached voice, "Nothing can compare to the importance of her life, not yours, not even my own... Surely you understand?" he looked directly at Vlad. Vlad stood, seemingly unaffected by his question. Until he turned to me, "I can empower the ghostly form-" he began.

"Don't," I stepped back as he approached me.

He edged closer. "I can help you sustain your body long enough to let the jewel go."

"That would not do," Filou stepped between us. He grabbed the jewel and held my shoulder.

"Hold on," Danny interrupted. I sighed in relief, he was giving us a few seconds longer to figure something out before the end. "So, his daughter is sleeping in the Jewel. Filou died so his life could create the Jewel and hold his daughters soul inside. The one day Cali came along. She wore the Jewel so it could adjust to her body, so that one day your daughter could take over her ghostly energy to recreate her own ghostly form." Vlad slowly inched closer during Danny's speech. "Then Cali's humanity is going to jump-start her life, like a defibrillator, and Filou's daughter will live again. How are you so sure this will work?"

"Yes well," Filou began to glow. His eyes were trained on Danny. His power crept through the Jewel and engulfed my body. "Seeing is believing."

When Filou turned back Vlad was wearing the Jewel around his neck. I couldn't fight back. Vlad wrapped one hand around my waist to hold me up, and I could feel Vlad's energy flowing into me.

"What?! No!" Filou wrenched his arm away.

Vlad caught it, pulled Filou back, and sneered, "You can't play with life. Let this be a lesson."

I winced, "Vlad, stop."

Every bit of life I had drained from me as soon as he took the jewel. However, Vlad was transferring his own energy into me, renewing my life without the Jewel. But, it wasn't returning quick enough for me to pull away. I'm stealing his life, I know it. As well as breaking whatever connection Filou shared with me and the Jewel. Luckily vise-verse, it seemed to affect Filou in the exact same way. He couldn't pull back.

The Jewel cracked.

"NO!" Filou growled, glaring at Vlad with all of his worth. "You're not suited for the Jewel. My daughter can not meld with your body, her soul will fade. Please, let her go!"

Vlad slouched over, taking everyone else to the ground as his own energy drained. "She won't fade. Everything has it's time. Cali has a family, and friends. What will your daughter have if she returned now? From what I've heard her mother died in the war, and you will have passed on when she comes back. Let her rest in peace already, and let Camillia go."

The Jewel shattered, and Filou screamed.

Filou picked at the pieces of the Jewel, his hand already vanishing and phasing though each shard.

Then a girl came to his side. She was as translucent as Filou had become. "Father," she whispered.

Filou stiffened. He glanced up hesitantly, and met the girl with his eyes. Then Filou glanced at me momentarily before beaming at her.

"I am so tired," she fell to her knees.

Filou caught her in his arms, holding her tight so that she couldn't pull back to see the tears welling in his eyes. "I know," he replied. "I'm sorry."

They remained that way a little longer before he stood up. However, Filou seemed hesitant, looking at Vlad through the water in his eyes as if seeking guidance. Vlad swallowed then nodded. And Filou disappeared from view. The spot where they stood now had two specks of lights in its place that flickered out soon after.

Vlad tumbled forward, landing partway on me. I was too tired to care. But then it occurred to me, the life returning to my body was coming from him. I scrambled to get away.

"Don't," Vlad's voice was nearly a whisper. His arm tightened around me. "You broke off from your humanity a long," he took a deep breath, "long time ago. It was taken by that accursed Jewel." He breathily chuckled, "Think I didn't notice?"

"Quit, just don't," I begged.

We locked eyes. He gave me a small smile, "When we part."

"Shut up."

"When we part," he repeated, "Make up a cool story about me to tell Maddie. Tell Jack... I never regretted humiliating him. And Daniel," he glanced up, "take care of her."

Danny slumped against the walls, eyes wide, and nodded.

I fought him through tears, "Don't agree with him, Danny, do something!"

"Camillia."

I looked up at Vlad, and shook my head. If I didn't hear his last words, it wouldn't be his last.

He sighed, "Never give up."

I was preparing to fight him. As soon as I had enough energy to break away I would. Then his gloved hand rested against my forehead, and the world went black.

* * *

A/N: I suck at updating


	23. Never Give Up

I woke up with relative ease. My head was cradled in Danny's lap. The first thing I saw was his smile.

"M-" he cleared his throat and blinked a few times, "Morning."

I shifted a bit, waiting for the sleepiness to pass, then as soon as reality hit me my hand flew to my neck. The Jewel was gone, and I felt so alive. I smiled, "morning."

Then Danny looked up, a solemn expression on his face. "I'm sorry."

My stomach dropped, "for what?"

"He told me that..." Danny released a long breath. He ran a hand through his hair before continuing, "Vlad made me promise not to intervene, I never thought..."

I trailed down Danny's line of sight. We were sitting in Vlad's lab. The occasion beep was the only other noise around. Then I saw him. I darted straight to where he laid. Vlad. I set a hand on his chest. He was still in ghostly form, but it should be there. Something. A heartbeat. A breath...

"There's a spark of humanity in every ghost." Danny explained. "A lingering part of their humanity that gives them purpose. Like Ember, Skulker, and all those in the Ghost Zone... Those ghosts that haven't found peace yet are called Lingering Spirits. For us Halfa's, we live in equilibrium. We can't survive without a balance of ghost and human life. So, Vlad..." he trailed off, eyes trained on the ground.

I patted Vlad's cheek, "No, he's- he can't..."

My vision blurred with tears. I searched Danny's face desperately for any sign that he was joking around. That this was a lie. But upon seeing my face his own contorted in grief. He moved closer, I shook my head in retaliation, but as soon as he wrapped me in his arms I lost all control. I choked out a sob, buried my face in his shoulder, and clutched his shirt. Danny rubbed soothing circles into my back as I cried. Out of everyone, I was the one expected to die in that battle not him. Not Vlad.

"What happened?" Skulker asked, cradling his head as he stepped in from the portal. Skulker approached Vlad's body, and nudged him lightly with his foot. "Is he okay?"

I tucked myself deeper into Danny's chest, unwilling to explain.

Danny tightened his grip on me in understanding. "We won. Filou is gone, but um, the Jewel was destroyed. It turns out it wasn't a weapon. And well," Danny stumbled over his words. "Vlad... didn't make it."

"Oh," Skulker stumbled back slightly. The silence stretched on before he let out a long breath, "there is this Graveyard of sorts in the Ghost Zone." He paused, "I can take Plasmius there. If you want."

Danny swallowed. I could tell he wanted my input.

"Could you," my voice was thick from crying, I coughed a bit to clear it. "Could you just watch Vlad for a bit. Make sure no one disturbs him until we return?"

Skulker pondered this for awhile, "I suppose. Where are you heading?"

I didn't respond. Simply pulled my head back and cleaned the tears with my sleeve before yanking Danny to follow me into the Ghost Zone.

"Cali?" He called after we flew around for a few minutes.

I faced him and asked, "Where do ghosts go when they die?"

He rubbed his neck, "I've never actually been there..."

"Where?"

Danny half nodded before flying straight up. I went after him. It took a good amount of time to reach it. It was an orb of ever flowing water. Danny put one hand inside, and held mine with the other. Then we were pulled in. Once inside, we ended up on our backs against a smooth hard floor.

"There's a sign," was the first thing we heard.

I sat up and gazed at the room. It was huge. Doors lined white walls left and right for as far as the eye could see, as if there was no end in either direction. I couldn't even see a ceiling, just an infinite stack of doors piled high as well. Then the floor freaked me out. It was as if we were sitting on glass, but there was no shine or reflection to indicate we were being held up by anything. Through it we could see the entirety of the Ghost Zone. It was so vast, yet fit like a perfect picture in this floor. I had to look away before I got dizzy. Behind us was the orb of water we had entered in. Standing beside the orb was an irritated ghost.

He was tall. Wore boots, black jeans, a light blue dress shirt, a black bow-tie, and a long deep blue trench coat. He had a youthful face, bright green eyes, and had a good build. If he didn't have a blue complexion, he would look positively attractive. He seemed to be around my age, looked nice, and oh my gosh he was talking.

"What?" I squeaked.

Danny rounded on me, an annoyed expression fixed on his face.

I turned to Danny this time and repeated, "what?"

Danny rolled his eyes.

_Was I gawking at him?_ I thought, _Did he catch me gawking at him?_ My head fell into my hands in humiliation, _I was totally gawking at him. Danny caught me gawking at him._

"There is a sign," the ghost repeated.

"What sign?" I asked.

He grumbled on in an angry tone, "the sign right outside that forebodingly says 'Do not enter' and 'Trespassers beware' or more bluntly 'Leave now'. Ring any bells?"

"No," Danny and I responded.

"What?!" the ghost poked his head through the water orb then fell into a nearby chair beside the orb. "Aww! I liked those signs. Spent a lot of time on those signs..." he glanced at us despite his little sulk. "Why are you two here anyway?"

Danny scratched his chin, "Um, where is _here_ exactly?"

He threw his arms out as if it was a grand display, "The Realm of Sleep!" Then he sheepishly folded his arms. "Not a lot goes on down here..."

"So this is where a ghost goes when he dies?" I stepped forward.

"Yes," he nodded. "Why?"

"Is it possible to 'wake' someone up?"

His face fell, "Yes." he paused for a beat. "Is this person family?"

I shrugged, "sort of."

"Your conviction for this task is astounding," he dryly remarked.

I bristled to that, "well, technically I'm the only family that old man has! No one else is ever going to come to your doorstep, and ask for him back because he was too stupid to let anyone else close!" I trailed off, "he didn't know how to let anyone close..."

"Your emotions speak in empathy." he observed. "Then he is a kindred spirit to you?"

"Sort of..."

The ghost impatiently tapped his foot.

"What's your name?" Danny spoke up. "I'm Danny, and this is Cali." I waved when Danny pointed at me.

"I am Sommeil," the ghost bowed. "Guardian of this Realm since the previous one retired, um, a couple hundred years ago..."

My eyes widened, "Okay." _Definitely not my age_, I thought.

"Sommeil," Danny tilted his head in thought, "I think I've heard of you."

Sommeil shook his head, an almost panic in his expression. "Probably just rumors. I haven't seen the light of day in well... decades. Doubt anything you heard was true. Except the pony. I did own a pony," he said wistfully.

"I heard you got in trouble with the Keeper of Time... And you were banished to- here, I guess. What did you do?"

Sommeil collapsed into his chair, "Stole his insight. His time insight. He took it back though, rather forcefully... but I did manage to keep some of it," he smirked, "Except, it's very muffled. I can only glimpse at the possibilities. What could happen, and how, instead of an assured future."

This piqued my curiosity, "How did you even steal-"

"Don't ask." Sommeil interrupted, "If you know, you'll try, trust me," he tapped his forehead.

I shied away as Danny gave me a pointed look.

"So, can I wake someone up?"

Sommeil narrowed his eyes at me. Then he stared at the orb with a distant expression on his face. "If you want to disturb the dead you'll have give something in return. Whatever you value most will stay behind." He gave me a once over, as if testing me, "is this payment sufficient to your needs?"

"Yeah, sure," I nervously twisted my hands in anticipation.

He arched an eyebrow, "very well."

Sommeil swished his hand through the water. The orb shuddered and broke apart. Then it poured sideways like rain onto the doors to the right. It blotched out the entire wall until it was all covered in water. Still flowing and weaving like the vertical ocean, even splashing at the floor occasionally.

I clenched my fists a few times to edge off my anxiety. "Has anyone else ever done this before?"

He blinked, somehow surprised by my question, "once."

"How did it go?"

He turned away, gazing at the other wall, "He walked in. Found the one he wanted to wake, but she refused to go. In the end he returned only wishing to sleep eternally at her side... and that's what he lost for disturbing the dead. He lost his ability to rest."

There was a moment of silence. Danny gripped my hand.

"Ready?" Danny asked.

"Oh, no no no!" Sommeil jumped forward and broke us apart. "This is your quest, Cali. You must go in alone or risk losing him when you return."

My eyes widened, Danny blushed.

"Right," I shook my head.

Danny embraced me, "be careful."

When I pulled back there was a gold bracelet around my wrist. Danny had one as well.

"Connection established," Sommeil grinned. "I made them myself, thought it would come in handy one day. When you have found whom you are looking for, focus on your man here," he jabbed his thumb at Danny, "and the bracelet will help you zip on back."

"I'll be right back," I held Danny's hand one last time. Then brought my other hand to my chest, smiling despite the situation, because I could feel my heart fluttering. Danny noticed my gesture and chuckled a bit as well.

"I'll hold you to that." Then he hugged me until neither of us could breathe. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah. I know you hate him... but he's done a lot for me. I think it's time to return the favor."

Danny held me closer, if that were even possible, "Promise me you'll be okay." It wasn't a question.

"Promise. Besides _never give up_, weren't those his words exactly?"

Both of us laughed to that.

When we leg go I spun around, waved goodbye, and stepped into the wall of water.

* * *

**A/N**: Thanks for favorite/following!

**PunkPrincessHP**: Princess! Thank you :) Glad you're still around!


	24. Definitely Not Wonderland

[Author's POV]

When Cali left the water let one small gravity-defying straight trail loose. The trail hit the ground, and flowed to the center of the room. It gathered above ground where it originally stood until the wall was clear of all liquid, and the water was an orb again.

Sommeil raised an eyebrow, "you truly trust her to handle this on her own?"

Danny looked at him over his shoulder, "shouldn't I?"

He shrugged, "you tell me- wait," Sommeil leapt across the room, and snatched up Danny's wrist. "Gold. These bracelets get stronger based on the two wearers emotional connection. It should be platinum, not gold! Unless... you only hugged her goodbye? _Hugged_. How could you?! Goodbye kisses exist for a reason!"

"What's the big deal?" Danny blurted, hoping his face wasn't as red as it felt. "She'll be fine."

Sommeil shook his head, "you don't know that."

"But with that time sense, you do!" He spoke shakily. "And the fact that you said that has me really regretting this right now."

"I do know," he replied smugly, not really hearing much else. "There is a future she emerges victorious, but it's slim now... you could have changed that."

"By doing what?"

"Lot's of things," he grinned, not meaning to, but adding in a double meaning as he winked.

Danny shivered, suddenly finding the opposite wall much more interesting. "Like?"

Sommeil's expression fell, and his hands flew exasperatingly into the air, "But you only _hugged_ her!" He pointed accusingly at Danny, "how dare you."

"How dare I? Sorry for offering her comfort, but it was the least I could do."

"Yes it was. Next time, please, make it the most you could do. French for all I care!"

Danny clamped his hands over his ears, afraid he would overheat if this onslaught of embarrassment continued. But as Sommeil went on, Danny had no choice.

Danny practically yelled, "I couldn't- wouldn't," he softened, "kiss her. It wouldn't have been fair."

"And why's that?"

"Well all things considered her heart was probably beating out of her chest already."

"Your point being?"

"She wanted to feel her first kiss, okay? Something... something memorable, I don't know! She's a girl, although she hardly admits it, she would want a special kiss."

"Oh- _oh_ it's not that you didn't kiss her, it's that you've never kissed her!"

"Can we just move on?!"

* * *

[Cali's POV]

I sneezed. Then I turned to glare at the portal I walked through since I figured they would gossip about me, but it was gone. Shaking off the sudden unease from my exit disappearing, I looked around.

The world beyond the water was unexpected. Left and right trees surrounded the stream of water that I landed in. Beyond the trees was obscured by darkness. Ahead the shallow stream trailed off into rapids. Behind was a spring the water originated from. Deciding the forest would be a good place to start I climbed out of the stream to wander closer to the darkness.

Walking past the trees through the curtain of darkness -that's what it literally was, a black curtain- led me into town. Amity Park, although it was off. Like the whole town was dead. No sound. It appeared dull in color. And I couldn't recognize anyone.

The people moved as if in a trance. None of them interacted. None even noticed me. I had to dodge more than one passing by. Then it hit me. Their dazed looks... They must be sleep walkers.

Since I thought better than to disturb them I went to where my home would be out of curiosity. When I entered the furniture was all wrong. A man passed by me in the living room. He looked oddly familiar. I shivered, wondering if he was somehow actually haunting my home in the real world from this one. Then a woman climbed upstairs, so I went to see what she was up to. When she passed my room I stopped and took a look inside. It was a mess. Toys and candy wrappers spread all around. At the center of it all was a boy. The lady from earlier walked in and set the boy in bed without a word. Like robots. He immediately went to sleep.

I gasped as he started to dream. It began as a bit of water stemming from his mind. When a full puddle formed above his head images began flashing in the water. _That gives lucid dreams a whole new meaning..._ I sat at the edge of his bed and watched his dream play out.

It was a lot like just now. He was playing. I jumped as his emotions could be felt through the image. He was content, if not a bit frustrated, that the ball couldn't hold up his Lego fort. Just as he found a new foundation for his fort, and preened at his accomplishment, his mother walked in and put him to bed. He longed to continue playing, resented his mother for stopping it, and reluctantly fell asleep to a bedtime story that he couldn't understand, but liked cause his mother used special voices for the characters.

I giggled at the previous occupant to my room. He was cute in his own right.

Then the puddle boiled. Someone was shouting downstairs. The boy felt confused. He slipped out of bed and started to the door. His mothers cry followed by a sharp bang made the boy fall back. He peeked through the crack under his door, heart pounding, hands shaking, and breath fast. When he glimpsed at a shadow his adrenaline spiked. He darted into the closet. I winced as he loudly slammed the door.

The boy was about five. I shook my head and got off the bed as the floorboards creaked when someone entered the room in his dream. The boy wasn't at all quiet in hiding. His breathing hastened. He hit the back wall in an attempt to further himself from the closet door. Then it opened. He screamed. And I fled the house.

Once outside I held a hand over my heart. It beat triple time with my breaths. Okay. So they dream about how the died. Lovely. After calming my overused organ I headed to Vlad's mansion.

[Author's POV]

Sommeil rolled his eyes. "No we can't just _move on_. Okay. Okay. First... I lied."

Danny was incredulous, "about what?!"

"The bands," he pointed to Danny's gold bracelet.

Danny marched over and held Sommeil up by the collar of his shirt, "Don't you dare tell me she's trapped in there."

"She's not trapped," he replied. Danny dropped him. "But she will be if you get pulled in."

Danny eyed him cautiously, "why would I get pulled in?"

Sommeil rolled his head around as if in thought. Then with an abrupt excitement, like a light-bulb going off, he began to explain, "have you heard the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur? How Theseus went through the labyrinth with a ball of string, and before he entered the Labyrinth he attached said string to a door post at the entrance?"

Danny sat patiently in Sommeil's chair, listening. "Where are you going with this?"

"Well..." Sommeil tugged his ear nervously. "To put this bluntly... The bracelet's the string."

Danny brought the gold bracelet to his line of sight. Wondering what that meant.

"And you're the door post," Sommeil elaborated.

Danny mouth dropped open as the meaning dawned on him.

"And well," Sommeil cleared his throat. "Gold doesn't exactly create a long thread..."

Suddenly Danny's hand jerked toward the orb of water, unbidden by him.

Danny flew away. His hand sticking out, bracelet pulling towards the orb. "Why is it pulling me in?!"

"This wouldn't have happened with Platinum," Sommeil muttered.

"And what's happening?!"

"Cali's learning about a dead world. It doesn't matter how long or how far she physically travels into it, it's how her emotions pull her in. Technically everything in there is dead. When she learns about a dead world, interacts, empathizes with it, her mind is fed dead thoughts. The living shouldn't learn of the dead. Which is why I gave you the bands." Sommeil fiddled with Danny's gold bracelet. "The pull you feel is her curiosity. The more you resist, the less she wants to learn."

Danny raised an eyebrow, forcing his gold bracelet hand down with the other. "What's so interesting about it? What's it like in there?"

Sommeil stuffed his hands in his pockets, and rocked on his heels. "Oh, nothing special. It's a lot like the living realm actually... at first."

The bracelet tugged a bit harder, but still not enough to move more than Danny's arm. "And at second?" Danny asked.

Sommeil's eyes darkened, "let's just hope she doesn't find out."

* * *

A/N: I just realized... My computer teacher made my class start a blog awhile back, and now I'm writing again (I should thank her later...). Also, I've been reading Doctor Who fanfics for forever, so, sorry that my writing style's altered. And to you Whovians... Sommeil's miiiiight be based on someone familiar... might...

its-ackim95: Haha! Don't worry, I'll scrap together an ending soon :] This story has been alive too long. Time to put it down...


	25. Red Handed

[Cali's POV]

Vlad's mansion wasn't right either. The layout was all wrong; too many decorations. Also there was an old man wandering around, not old man Vlad, just some old guy in his pajamas. He looked a lot like the monopoly character only without the top hat. I followed him awhile. He was going about business normally, as normal as wandering goes, until I accidentally bumped a vase. It didn't shatter, just hit the ground. Not even a sound upon impact. Oh but Mr. Monopoly noticed. Immediately he grabbed the vase, and put it back. But then it was like something was wrong. Monopoly picked the vase back up, placed it elsewhere, and seemingly thought about it's placement.

"Hmm, odd lighting here," I sidled up next to him, high class accent in place, "Maybe Baltimore Avenue would look better this time of year."

I giggled when, as if in response, he picked it back up and set it on a different pedestal.

I smirked, "then again... the Railroads..."

My breath caught as Monopoly whirled around, facing me directly. His blank expression seemed to say otherwise, but I had to ask, "can you see me?"

He didn't answer just picked up the vase and left. I chose not to follow this time, and flew off to search for Vlad.

The house was all wrong though. Left, right, anywhere, nothing was familiar. I thought I would have to fly all the way to Wisconsin and check there when the room shifted. The walls crumbled, like an egg hatching. When it all broke away the interior underneath was revealed.

And it was Vlad's home. I checked; even the guest room looked the same as I left it. Rumpled sheets, indented pillows, dirty clothes. I thought about laying on it for a quick rest to see if I could actually sleep this time, but phased through the floor instead to find Vlad.

My heart leapt to my throat. There Vlad was. Mixing chemicals, clinking beakers together, and jotting down notes. Working like he wasn't dead. Actually, working a bit too well. My brow furrowed. He was way more lively than the other stiffs outside. Then I took a deep breath as understanding dawned on me. He just died. Those people outside must have been dead for years, cause I didn't know a single one.

"Vlad?" I tentatively called him.

He looked up, surveyed the room as if some random noise startled him, and went back to work.

"Vlad, hey!" I went closer, turning into my human form as I did so.

He squinted at his notes. Shook his head, then turned in my general direction.

"Vlad, it's me. It's Cali," I waved a hand over his eyes.

Again he blinked. Brought a hand to his head, and looked puzzled.

"You um," my voice wavered, "You kicked the bucket. Not literally. You died, you idiot."

"That is not very nice," he said aloud. His voice wasn't right. Very monotone, mechanical, as if he read it poorly from a script.

"Could care less about manners. Vlad!" I pleaded. "Wake up. Wake up! I came to get you out of here."

He stood up straight, eyes roving around the area where I stood. Like he was looking for me. "I am not trapped. This is my home."

"No, it's really not. You died. You're so stupid! I told you," I faltered when my cheeks felt damp. "You didn't listen. You just had to save me. The Jewel was suppose to kill me, I accepted that. I knew I was dying, what's your excuse?!"

"You are crying."

I threw my hands up in the universal gesture of _no duh_, "A little water never hurt anybody."

I don't know why I never thought about it before, I reached out and pulled Vlad to follow me.

Suddenly, a rush of people crowded at the entrance to the lab. Hatred now blanketing their once dazed expressions. I let go and stumbled backwards in fright. The result was immediate. They all dispersed, albeit slightly out of place, wandering around the lab.

While avoiding the dead like landmines, I swerved around the room back to Vlad.

"Vlad," I didn't care for the quiver as I spoke. "We have to get out of here."

He was tinkering with his lab stuff again. "Why?"

"Why?! Why not? Please come with me. Please wake up."

He dropped his work, and slouched over. "Should I wake up?"

I nodded furiously, "Yes. Wake up."

He shook his head. "But all of my research is here. The same as it would be up there," he spoke less monotone, and more like himself. "What's the difference? I'm already here, so I'll stay."

"But you can't!" Vlad was looking directly in my eyes now. I went on, "your so conceited. And so rude, but you helped me when I didn't even know I needed it. Heck, I didn't even know you were helping me at the time. But I do now. You showed me who my friends really were." I laughed. "You had all this cool stuff too. Spoiled me like some distant family member I didn't even know I had. And none of that really compares to this." I didn't transform into a ghost in fear of breaking whatever spell Vlad was under.

Instead I created a spark of fire, and to my surprise, it was actual fire. No weird color, just red, orange, and yellow. "You may have done it with different purposes in mind, but you gave me these powers. I've never known a better gift." I spoke in awe. "Being a ghost has allowed me so much freedom. Me. Who's been cooped up almost her whole life. When we moved to California, I could roam wherever I pleased. I could finally get away. So, let me thank you. Wake up."

Vlad smiled, "are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Vlad reached out, "Alright." He grabbed my hand, and vanished.

...

I blinked.

But I was still there.

...in the Realm of Sleep.

Before I could question it, I felt before I saw Monopoly pulling my arm.

"Hey!" I pulled away, but only managed to force him closer. Soon the others joined in, and suddenly I realized how claustrophobic I actually was. The feel of his hand put my skin to sleep. Pin-pricks running up from my shoulder to my fingertips. I backed away in desperation right into the boy who previously owned my room. They surrounded me. I wanted to understand why, so that maybe I could devise a solution. But when I looked at their faces all I saw was discontented horror. An odd mix that twisted their faces to express a bitter outrage, like they were mad that they were sad.

They reached for the flame in my hand.

"No, you can't touch that," I hid the fire behind me, but the lady from earlier stole it.

A breath I didn't know I was holding escaped as they left. Somehow they held the fire, and huddled around in a circle, mesmerized. But then that wasn't enough. They lunged at me again, and I could feel myself being ripped apart. I wouldn't open my eyes. I couldn't. If I saw the damage they were doing to me it would make this real. Time slowed, or sped up, I lost track while they did as they pleased. When I knew they were getting close to my heart I screamed.

At that moment someone grabbed my bracelet, and I remembered.

* * *

And then we were on the floor.

"Cali," Danny said breathlessly from beneath me. I must have knocked him to the ground upon returning. He dropped his head to the ground with a thump, his arms falling with it as he sighed in relief.

"Almost pulled you in. That was close," Sommeil commented.

I gazed around, I was back, I escaped the Realm. The orb was mere inches from us. Then I raised a brow, "what was close?"

"Nothing," Danny and Sommeil chorused, one exasperated and the other oddly amused.

I glanced down at myself. The bracelets faded from my and Danny's wrists. But all in all, I was still in one piece.

The tension fell as I flopped on the ground next to Danny. "Oh thank goodness," I said, closing my eyes.

"The one you awoke has returned to the living," Sommeil informed me. "I'm amazed that you made it back."

"Yeah," I smiled.

We sat there for ten minutes, neither regaining the energy to move. When it became apparent we were dozing off Sommeil clapped his hands.

"Love the company," Sommeil said, "but you kiddies have places to be."

"Yeah..." we agreed, but made no effort to stand.

Sommeil crossed his arms, resigning himself to slumping slightly in his chair.

"You think it worked?" I asked Danny, ignoring Sommeil's comments that 'yes, it did work' followed closely by 'no, stop it. I know you're ignoring me' while Danny replied anyway with a nod.

Danny abruptly tugged my arms, forcing us into an awkward sideways hug. He squeezed tighter and said, "never do that again." He pulled back, and it was then that I could see his jaw clenched, his brow furrowed, and his eyes so full of worry. "I thought you went and died in there for a stupid cheesehead. A _cheesehead_, Cali, do you have any idea how much guilt would be weighing on my head for letting you die like that?!"

I giggled. He was overreacting, or so I convinced myself, cause I probably looked worse than him. I could still feel the sting in my eyes from crying earlier. So, with a grin I replied, "probably about the same weight as a block of cheese."

And then he was kissing me.

I'm pretty sure my sarcasm ticked Danny off, but he only flickered with irritation for a second, and then he was... and we were... And that's about when my brain shorted out. And I'm pretty sure I should have closed my eyes, but Sommeil was yelling something about hanky-panky. And I think my hands should have gone somewhere, but I was pulling off a rather impressive impersonation of a plank, my brain was thoroughly broken to do otherwise. And my heart was everywhere, beating wildly like it was trying to escape, and I vaguely thought maybe I was having my first heart-attack. And I thought about responding, just thought about it. And then I was pretty sure we were suffocating before he pulled back.

Danny's face was flushed. We were gulping in breaths, but he pulled me to my feet, and then promptly caught me before my jello legs tossed me back on the floor. Then he was saying goodbye to Sommeil, Sommeil might have said a few choice words about our actions, but my awareness hadn't kicked back in yet. Sommeil asked for us to visit despite it all, I may have responded with nonsense ('Sure' came out sounding more like "guh"). Then Danny flew us through the orb back to home.

* * *

**PunkPrincessHP**: Thanks! :) One chapter to go after this!


	26. Epilogue

On our way back we flew past Skulker, he mumbled something, eyed us for awhile longer than we were comfortable with, then left. We awkwardly waved him off.

Danny set me gently to the ground upon our return to the lab. And there Vlad was, human, all smiles, and open arms.

I slapped him.

Vlad's mouth open and closed. He cradled his cheek, searching for words, staring between me and Danny before calmly responding with, "you seem a bit upset."

I paced the lab, arms flying about for angry gestures. "A bit. A BIT. Yeah, maybe a smidgen, not much, you only died! I can't believe you did that to me!" I paused to mumble, "well... ya saved me, thanks." Then continued in a loud voice, "but I couldn't just leave you like that! You died a ghost. Ghosts don't get funerals! Then in the Realm of Sleep, you wouldn't get up! Why are you so-" I jabbed him in the arm with my pointer finger, "-difficult?!"

Vlad straightened his collar. "I admit the act was uncalled for, but," he smiled, "not a bad way to go. Besides I knew young Daniel would show you how to revive me." Danny groaned, but Vlad went on, "no harm no foul. So, I won't apologize for it. However... I am sorry for the cost..."

"Cost," I narrowed my eyes, "Sommeil said something about that as well."

Vlad swallowed, "Then I'm assuming you're unaware of what was lost?"

My eyes darted around the room, "I'm fine. You're here, so's Danny." I shrugged, "what cost?"

"You were cleansed, in a manner of speaking." Vlad exhaled.

"What's that...?" I trailed off when he turned ghost. Danny seemed to understand something I didn't and did the same. So, I followed suit.

Only, I couldn't.

I took a deep breath, desperate to keep control of my emotions after all that's happened today. I cupped one hand over the other, calling forth my ghostly fire. Then I tried invisibility, intangibility, anything. No matter how I tried, all I got was strained muscles. "What can't I-?" I coughed to clear the lump in my throat.

"Filou's method of taking your ghostly spirit would have killed you by taking half of a whole, but the Realm reverted that ghost half of you back to human. That was the cost, your double life." Vlad landed in front of me, speaking softly, "I'm so sorry, Camillia."

I shook my head, "but I can't-" I clenched my hands into fists. "Whatever. It's not that bad." my voice cracked, "i-it could be worse. I mean, you're back." By sheer force of will the tears lingered on my lashes. "You're alive. I'm alive. Everyone's okay. L-let's celebrate." I tried for a smile, it failed when a teardrop tracked down my cheek. "Ooh, this sucks."

Everyone lived. I was happy. Really. But the loss of my powers still hurt. Like someone clipped my wings, a whole world was suddenly erased from my life.

I tried telling them it really wasn't that bad, nonetheless, Danny and Vlad still offered me comfort full of ice cream and chocolate before I returned home.

* * *

I timidly opened the front door. How on Earth entering my own home felt like barging into a foreign land, I'll never understand. Although it might have something to do with the fact Mom might just possibly start breathing fire when she finds out what I've done. But there she was; nursing a coffee mug at the kitchen table, head in her hands.

While Danny offered to come along with me, and was now awkwardly shifting by the front door, Vlad opted to stay home and avoid confrontations at the moment. I agreed. After all Mom only needed to know I was back, not that I was technically dead the whole time we've been in California, and that others nearly died in the process. I took a deep breath. Everything would be handled one step at a time. And the first step? Actually alerting Mom to my presence.

She looked so out of it. How could this reunion go smoothly? A clever opening statement probably. Maybe something happy to set the mood. '_I'm back.' _or_ 'I'm alive.' 'I love you.' 'I was almost killed, brought a man you possibly hate more than anyone ever in existence back to life at the risk of my own.' _... _'Hi.'_

Onestepatatimeonestepatatimeonestepatatime.

"'Sup." I resisted the urge to bite my tongue.

Her head shot up, "Cali?"

"Yeah, I'm, um, here. Hi Mom." I gave a small wave.

Mom was up and hugging me in an instant.

She cried a bit. That scared me. Almost made me cry, but I managed to bite my lip and hold strong long enough for her to pull back.

"I'm sorry." She sniffled. "Whatever this ghost thing is, we can talk about it. No more fights, okay Sweetie?"

"Yeah," I smiled.

When Dad got home, well, he was just happy to see me home. Bear hugged me. Then sat with Mom, me, and Danny as I told them how I got the powers, and how I lost them. Danny helped, continuing the story in places where he could, and holding my hand in reassurance through the tough moments. Of course, some details were blurred, the Jewel was simply described as a 'dangerous weapon', and nothing about the Realm of Sleep really needed mentioning. They worried and fussed with questions afterward, but accepted it all much more calmly than I would have anticipated.

* * *

Weeks passed, and Vlad (albeit reluctantly in the beginning) was welcomed into the Nought household. Mom would still ask about what my powers were like, fighting ghosts, and a bit more about Danny as time went on. Regular visits to Mayor Master's household with Tucker, Sam, and Danny in tow were slowly becoming an after school activity what with his arcade, swimming pool, and growing entertainment area.

Coping without my ghostly powers was tough, but I wasn't backing out of the ghost fighting business because of it. Danny recruited me as his sidekick, and rather smugly taught me how 'human's' fought ghosts with his parents gadgets.

With his parents away, Danny and I fiddled around the lab. Him leisurely floating about in ghostly form, while I was readjusting the belt size on the Spector Defector.

"Bet you miss it," Danny smirked, laying a few feet off the ground in midair. "'Cause now you can't do this," he turned invisible and suddenly a yank on my hair took my concentration off the device. He reappeared to my left, a duplicate of him to my right, "or this." His double disappeared, and a Ghost Ray formed in his palm, "or this."

Danny turned human, a teasing expression fixed on his face as he waited for my reply.

I clicked the Spector Deflector into place around my hip, then pulled Danny closer by his shirt. "Nope. Can't do any of that. However... I can do this." I leaned the rest of the way in and delivered a forceful kiss to his cheek. He stiffened and scrambled away, the belt doing what it does best once I made contact with him. I looked him over; his hair frazzled, eyes wide, and breath quick. Now it was his turn to be annoyed.

But Danny smirked, "yeah yeah."

He swiftly unlocked the belt, it fell to the ground before I could even realize what he was doing. When I did, I only got a mildly annoyed, "hey-" out before he took hold of my waist, and slowly came closer.

I was **not** short circuiting this time. But he was dangerously close, and not moving any closer. We both stared at each other through half hooded eyes. Body stiff cause, "what the heck are you doing?"

"Donno," Danny replied. He swallowed, and took a deep breath. "Is this okay?"

"If your going to hover an inch from my lips and ask that, I might be forced to slap you."

He chuckled, "no, I mean, are we dating?"

My eyes opened fully to that, "can we?"

"Aren't we?"

"Are you asking?"

His head tilted from side to side as if pondering. "Yeah, sure."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

He nodded, "okay."

Then we were thrown into silence. I wasn't going to kiss him, he initiated it, not me. But another second in that position was borderline torture. If he thoug- and that was his lips on mine. And although I said I wouldn't, that was definitely me shorting out.

And probably dying when I saw his parents enter the room.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Whelp. This is me. Finishing my first _first_ story. Ladies and gentlemen- it only took a few years. (Over four, but who's counting?) Haha... Started on Quizilla, and finished here. At least I finished (no dirty pun intended, but there ya go). After reading an insane amount of unresolved stories on here, I couldn't be that girl. Nearly was, probably still am considering my other stories, but not here. Nope. Here, I completed. (Insert self pity here)

**PunkPrincessHP**: I'm a pyro. And that was soooooo tempting. But seriously. Thank you for your continuing support, you're like, so awesome :'D Couldn't have done it without you! (Well, actually could've, but it would've taken an impossible amount of time and did I mention I love you?) I love you.

Shout out to **Sera**! Cuz you're like the butter to my cheese. And I'm stupid sleepy right now so just accept that as a compliment cuz you amazin' girl!

And **Cathy**! 'Cause your drunken stories help me rock on.

Annnnnnd.

Well.

Goodbye readers.


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